Apparition
by Swissed Toast
Summary: Without really realizing it, I found myself growing attached to these people who weren't supposed to exist — living in a world that shouldn't exist, fighting for my life with people whose future I knew; in a way, it feels wrong. But at the same time, there isn't much I can do except keep going. Kharlan OC Self-Insert.
1. Chapter 1

**Tales Of Symphonia © Namco**

 **Beta: Synodic**

* * *

An awful pain shoots through my head, accompanied by a strange static buzzing that draws a groan from my mouth. Faintly, I can hear a few voices mumbling, and reluctantly I crack an eye open, wincing when a sharp pain spreads through the back of my head and eyes.

"She's waking up!" There's a cloth resting on my forehead, and I breathe out slowly, grimacing again. "Mom, come quick!"

I open my eyes again, staring blearily at the face hovering overhead. He blinks down at me, blue strands of hair falling over his ears — _holy shit why are they pointed_ — and he opens his mouth to say something else only to cry out in pain, his face retreating from above mine. "What was that for!?"

The second voice sighs, and when she speaks her tone is noticeably quieter than the boy's. "You're being too loud."

I blink slowly, bringing a hand up to rest limply against the cloth. A door opens, and when I turn my head to look an older woman approaches, her hair the same colour as the boy's and tied into a tight bun. When she sees the two squabbling at my side her expression hardens.

"I thought I told you to be quiet," she says sternly, directing a scathing look at the boy. He crosses his arms and looks away haughtily, and the girl at his side simply sighs. Turning to look at me, the woman's face softens. "It's good to see you awake."

I spare another look around the room. "… Where am I?" I ask, noticing how sore my throat is. I do my best to hide my panic, averting my eyes and attempting to sit up. Immediately I'm stopped by the girl, and the older woman sighs, shaking her head.

"It's best if you don't strain yourself … you're still quite sick." She kneels by the bed, placing down the bucket of water she was carrying and removing the rag from my head. As she dips it in the water, she answers my question with, "You're in Midgard; we found you on the outskirts of town, unconscious."

I frown. "Midgard? Where's that?"

Her expression flickers in confusion, becoming grim, though it is quickly replaced by something more neutral. "Have you lost your memory?" She asks, as she wrings out the excess water and rests the rag back on my forehead. I jolt in surprise. "Midgard is located on the outskirts of Sylvarant."

I flinch this time, my entire body going rigid before relaxing. Sylvarant?

 _'… What the fuck?'_

"Sylvarant?" I repeat, "that's —"

"Mom, do you think she's from Tethe'alla?" The boy interrupts. "She looks weird."

His mother frowns, shaking her head slowly. "I doubt it, Jin. Her build is not one of a soldier, and the Tethe'allan citizens would not dare venture here."

Tethe'alla? What the _fuck?_ What the hell are they talking about?

"Um …" The three of them look towards me, and I once again attempt to sit up. I'm not stopped this time, and the still-wet rag drops from my forehead onto my lap. "What are you talking about …?"

The girl's eyes widen and she cries out, "Oh! Mom, I know — maybe she has amnesia? Yuan was telling me about it; it's when someone forgets their memories!"

I shudder, not really listening to the conversation that the girl's comment causes. Instead, I focus entirely on the name she mentions; _Yuan_. One of the side characters from a game called Tales of Symphonia, which takes place in two separate, but linked worlds, called Tethe'alla and Sylvarant.

A game; it's a _game_ , and yet here I am, sitting in a bed with people who apparently live in a world where those names aren't planets, but … maybe continents? Nations? Countries?

There are only two times when the names Tethe'alla and Sylvarant aren't the names of the planets; during the Kharlan War, and after the main events of the story. Feeling somewhat sick, I swallow hard, my arms trembling and my breathing becoming shallow.

I never played the sequel; it looked wholly underwhelming, and the reviews gave me similar ideas that lead to me never even buying it. However, I know for a fact that there wasn't ever a town named _Midgard_ in the game; sequel or original.

Midgard … what the hell is that?

"Do you know your name?" I'm snapped from my thoughts when the woman addresses me again. I meet her eyes with my own terrified ones, and I see them widen in alarm. "Are you alright?"

"I — I don't know where I am," I say, slightly panicked. "I've never heard of a Midgard."

Misinterpreting my answer (though it's not like I expected her to understand what I really meant by that statement), the woman immediately attempts to console me. "It's alright; I'm sure you'll remember. You were quite out of it for the last few days. Do you know your name?"

I nod, practically blurting out the answer like it burns me. "Avery. Who are you?"

"I'm Mei," the little girl replies. "And my brother is Jin."

He simply nods, looking up at his mother. "Can I go play now? I did what you wanted."

She sighs but reluctantly agrees, and Jin barrels from the room, slamming the door as he goes. Mei puffs her cheeks out in annoyance, and after shaking her head the older woman replies, "My name is Yue, it's a pleasure to meet you, Avery."

I nod, going silent. Yue looks at me in concern, raising a hand to press against my forehead. I force myself not to flinch, though my body stiffens, betraying my nerves. "Your fever has gone down a bit," Yue murmurs. "Still warm, but after another day or two of rest, you should be good to go."

"… Go where?" I reply back. "I don't know where I am …"

A hand brushes my bangs from my face in a tender fashion. "Have you heard of the nations of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla?"

' _God, yes. Too many goddamn times; they just weren't nations at the time.'_ My answer is completely different.

"… No." I keep my eyes locked on my lap, twisting the blankets between my fingers and clutching onto them like they're a lifeline. "I'm sorry … I've never heard of those."

The hand retracts from my head, thankfully, only to push me back gently. I force back against the action, but my eyes meet Yue's and her look cows me. Reluctantly I lie back, and the rag is removed from my lap and placed back into the bucket of water.

"It's alright," she soothes, pushing my bangs back again. "You had a pretty nasty head injury on top of it. I'm sure you'll remember soon."

Well. That explains the awful headache I've had since I woke up, though it doesn't explain the awful crawling sensation under my skin. It's like a complete, full body _itch._

Releasing a sigh, I scratch at a spot on my stomach where the feeling is uncomfortably bad, though it does absolutely nothing to help ease the feeling. "Um … ma'm?" I start, unsure if it's a good idea to ask her. She pauses in her motions.

"Please, call me Yue," she replies. Reluctantly I nod, before continuing.

"Alright. Yue —" I'm cut off by the sound of both Jin and Mei screaming, though the noises quickly dissolve into laughter. I see Mei's shoulders relax at the noise, and not even three seconds later the door is thrown open.

"Mom! Yuan's back!" Jin shouts, completely forgetting the apparent order to be quiet. He pauses, looking over at me, before turning to look over his shoulder. "Yuan! Mom's in here!"

An awful chill settles in the core of my belly, and I practically disappear under the covers, feeling tremors wrack my body. Thankfully Yue's eyes are focused on the doorway, and when a tall figure steps past Jin I see a smile break out on her lips.

Yuan is … tall, to put it simply. His expression is hard and stern, and he holds himself proudly, just like he did in the game, though the trademark cape is missing. I see his eyes flicker across the room, landing on me, and he frowns.

"Mother," he acknowledges. "I'm glad you're well. Who is this?"

"That's Avery," Mei replies, hanging off his side. "She's got amnesia. We found her a few days ago."

I see his eyebrows raise. "Amnesia?" He repeats. "What makes you think that?"

"She doesn't know what Midgard is," Jin answers, craning his head to look up at Yuan. "Or Sylvarant, or Tethe'alla. She's pretty dumb."

Mei immediately smacks him across the arm. "It's amnesia, idiot!" She snaps. "That means she _forgot_ it, not that she doesn't know it!"

"Don't call me an idiot!"

Yue sighs, shaking her head at their antics but not moving to break it up. "I apologize for the children," she says to me. Thankfully I've gotten my shaking under control, and I attempt to return her smile, though I'm pretty sure it comes across as more of a grimace than anything. "It's been awhile since they saw their brother."

I look at the three of them, immediately noticing the resemblance, though it looks as if there is at least a fifteen year difference between Yuan and Mei. Taking a glance back at Yue, I frown. She can't be older than thirty five, and yet Yuan looks like he's at least in his mid twenties. "I … I see."

Then again, Yuan is a half-elf, right? If his mother is an elf, then it makes perfect sense for her to look so young. So then …

I look at Jin and Mei, who are still arguing about something to one another. Are they half-elves too? Or are they elves?

"Don't worry, Yuan," Yue attempts to relieve. "She's no threat. If it wasn't for us finding her, she'd be dead on the outskirts of town. Her fever only recently came out of the danger zone."

"Mother, you shouldn't be so careless — Tethe'alla is becoming increasingly desperate." His voice is harsh as he speaks. "It wouldn't surprise me if they've been planting spies."

Yue's voice immediately turns hard. "Yuan —"

"Yes, I know." He sighs, the harshness in his voice dying down. "No talk about the war. But still, you should be more careful about these things."

I shift uncomfortably, unable to ignore how awkward I feel. "If it's a problem, I can leave …" I say, hesitantly, already moving to sit up. Before I can even push the covers off, though, Yue stops me. "Really — it's not a big deal."

"Avery, you don't even know where you are." She glares sternly at me, in that way that only mothers can. "You have no weapon, and the clothes you were wearing are definitely not appropriate for this season. Going back out as you are is a death wish!"

I frown, looking over at Yuan, who crosses his arms over his chest. "But …"

"Don't you worry about Yuan," she orders, placing a hand on my shoulder. "He's just a big grump. Besides, this is _my_ house."

Reluctantly I nod, shooting another look at Yuan. He simply sighs, shaking his head, but he doesn't argue with Yue. I shiver, itching at my arm; the sensation is getting worse by the second. "Mother, did you have a medic look her over?"

"Only the town doctor," she replies offhandedly. "Why?"

His fingers tap against his arm in a pattern and he takes a long moment to reply. "… No reason."

Yue rolls her eyes, but doesn't press the subject any further. She stands up from her knelt position, resting her hands on her hips. "Well then; if you're done complaining about our guest, come help me with dinner, will you?"

When the four of them finally exit the room, leaving me in peace, I sink into the mattress, staring up at the ceiling blankly. No matter how much I scratch, the sensation under my skin doesn't go away, and it takes all of my effort to not start madly scratching everywhere. Fuck, it's _awful,_ but when I throw the blankets off my form and examine my skin, I find nothing there to cause it.

"OK … OK, shit." I swing my feet over the edge of the bed, shuddering. "Shit, this is bad."

Doing my best to ignore the very obvious panic growing, I get to my feet, only wobbling a little. My body feels off, like I'm walking on clouds, and my legs tingle worse than the rest of my body, sans my stomach. I use the walls as support, and when I peer out the window I see snow covering the ground.

Snow … OK. That definitely means I'm not anywhere close to home; it never snows where I live. Or anywhere within fifty miles.

And there's no town named Midgard, or nations called Sylvarant and Tethe'alla, and … and …

Damn; I'm really not at home, am I?

I move a hand to the back of my head, probing at the spot. There's a rather large bump, and pushing at it only makes it more painful. I curl my fingers around the window sill, taking a deep breath before pushing it up.

Immediately I'm assaulted by a gust of cold air, and my hands fly to my arms, rubbing desperately in hopes to gain some heat. I duck my head out, and notice that I'm on the first floor. It's pretty dark out, and the streets are pretty much deserted.

I shoot a look back at the door, and then down at myself. The clothes I'm wearing are … definitely not ideal for this kind of weather; a black tank top and knee-length shorts, and no socks … I'll just have to be quick.

I do my best to ignore the pain in my head, and when my bare foot touches the snow I shiver. The sting of the cold helps cover up the tingling under my skin, though, and I take a deep breath before venturing away from the house and further into the town.

With only the moon and a few dull street lamps — who would've thought? — to lead me, I'm practically stumbling my way through the town. It doesn't help that my feet have become practically numb, and I curse myself for my idiocy.

"Midgard … Midgard. What do I recognize here?" I murmur, approaching a flight of stairs leading to the upper area of the town. I hiss as I ascend the steps, and when I reach the top I observe the area, noticing a large cave that is strangely familiar. As quickly as I can I make my way over, finally able to step out of the snow. Torches line the walls, leading a bit deeper, and I look up at the pictures and engravings.

It's too dim for me to make out, and I sigh, sinking to the ground and pulling my knees to my chest. I hold my feet between my hands, grimacing when a sharp pain shoots through them. I can still feel them, which means I'm not going to get frostbite anytime soon, but …

"What are you doing in here?" I jolt at the voice, a swear flying out of my mouth before I can stop it, and immediately I scramble to my feet — or attempt to. Yuan stands at the entrance of the cave, arms crossed over his chest and mouth set into a scowl.

"I —" I swallow hard. "How'd you find me?"

He scoffs, motioning with his head to the outside of the cave. "Fresh footprints."

I swallow. "Oh."

Neither of us move for a few seconds, and I turn to look at the walls again. These are the walls from Asgard, if I remember right … the ones that tell about the ancient history, or something. I can't remember exactly.

Asgard … maybe Midgard burned down sometime during the next 4,000 years and was rebuilt as Asgard or something. The town does look drastically different than it did in the game after all.

"Why did you leave the house?" Yuan asks, when it becomes clear I'm not going to say anything else. "Do you have some kind of death wish?"

I shake my head, biting back a rude response. "I wanted to see if I recognized this place," I mumble, after taking a second to think. "And the cold helps me forget about the fucking god awful itching."

"Itching?"

I grimace, motioning down at myself with my hand. "My skin. It's tingly and itchy, like there's something under my skin, and no matter how much I scratch it doesn't go away."

Yuan is silent. I shift in place, rubbing at my toes again. They're starting to hurt a bit less, and I dread walking back to the house. I don't even remember the way back. The silence stretches on, and I go to say something, _anything_ to break it, when Yuan sighs. "Get over here."

I stay where I am, giving him a wary look. He directs an irritated glare in my direction, and I reluctantly get to my feet, but don't move in his direction. "Why?"

"Do you want to stay here all night?" He snaps, obviously becoming annoyed. "I can always tell mother that I couldn't find you."

Immediately I shake my head, moving to his side, directing a look of dismay at the growing snow outside. "Damn, sorry. Didn't know it'd piss you off so much if I asked a fucking question."

Yuan ignores me, though I swear I see his eye twitch in irritation, instead crouching down. I freeze, confusion and shock melding into one. "What are you doing?"

"Get _on_." His tone is final, and I scramble to obey. Climbing on his back is a bit awkward, but once I'm on he stands up, looping his arms under my knees and heading out into the snow. Immediately I shiver, tightening my hold around his neck and hiding my face in the collar of his clothes.

"So your name is Yuan?" I start, when the silence becomes awkward. "What do you do? And what's the war you were talking about earlier?"

He scoffs. "You don't need to pretend. I know you haven't lost your memory."

I scowl, tightening my hold on his neck in retaliation. "Fine, be a dick about it. You don't have to believe me, but I really don't know anything about the war."

He ignores me, and I shiver when a gust of cold air passes through. "But you never answered my question — what do you do? Are you some kind of mercenary?"

No response. I try again from a different angle; "You're tall and stuff, and you're strong enough to carry my fat ass; you could probably punch someone in the face and knock their teeth out. Or in, I guess — until they spit them out. But then there's blood on your hands, and that's pretty fucking disgusting and —"

"I will drop you," he threatens, his voice becoming thin. "And watch your language. Mei and Jin don't need to pick up on it."

He loosens his grip on me and immediately I obey, swallowing back the response that had risen into my throat. We pass through an alleyway of some sorts — one that I know I didn't pass through on my way to the cave, and I crane my head back in hopes of seeing something I recognize.

We reach the house only a minute later, and after opening the door and stepping in he practically drops me. I barely manage to stay standing, though he's nice enough to grab onto my arm and keep me upright. "Thanks," I grumble, pulling my arm out of his grip. The warmth in the house is a welcome change from the chilly weather outside.

Yue appears in the doorway across from us only a second later, and relief crosses her expression. "I'm glad you found her," she says to Yuan as she approaches. He steps away, allowing his mother to examine me. I resist the urge to slap her hands away, instead biting back a somewhat rude comment.

"She was at the western caves," he informs the woman. "Before you ask, no. I didn't make her walk back."

Yue nods. "Thank you, Yuan." Her expression turns stern in an instant, and she immediately begins to scold me. "What in the world were you thinking!?"

"I was just, uh, exploring." I quickly reply. "I wanted to see if I recognized anything."

"Exploring!?" She shakes her head at me, scowling. "It's snowing outside!"

"Sorry!" I cry out in an attempt to appease her. "I didn't really think about that — and I'm fine and all, y'know? I-It's no big deal!"

I pointedly ignore looking at my freezing, red, and wet feet, instead staring at something hanging on the wall. It's a picture of the family, but before I can actually examine it Yue is grasping my arm firmly and leading me down the halls. Immediately I pull away, but her grip is firm and unwavering.

"What are you doing?" I ask warily. The women in the game seemed to have a thing for hitting people. Hopefully she's not the same — I mean, this is 4,000 years into the past; and I am her _guest._

She stops in front of the furthest door in the hallway, cracking it open and leading me inside. There's a deep bathtub pushed against the wall, covered by some plastic looking top, along with a shower head attached to the adjacent wall. "I'll go grab you some towels — just give me a moment."

She leaves the door wide open as she leaves, and I stand there dumbfounded, unsure on what to do. She returns a few seconds later, and after placing the towels down by the door begins her explanation. "Just use the shower head to clean off. The bath is already run, so just get in when you're done, and _don't_ drain the water when you finish."

I blink. "Uh, alright. Isn't that kind of gross, though? I'm _sick."_

"Well," she starts, "just don't sneeze in the water and it'll be fine."

I frown at her reasoning, but shrug. If she's really not concerned about it, then I won't worry either. "Alright," I reply. "Thanks. Uh, for letting me use it."

"Of course. I'll leave some clothes by the door for you; you won't get any better if you walk around dressed like that." She looks at my clothes disapprovingly and I grin sheepishly, offering a quick ' _thank you'._

I strip out of my clothes after she leaves, throwing them in the direction of the towels, and then I twist the knob of the shower head.

* * *

The clothes I'm wearing remind me of my brother's clothes, and unless they've got a third son between the ages of thirteen and fifteen I'm amost positive these are Yuan's old clothes.

He even had the nerve to look startled when I walked into the kitchen wearing a black long sleeve and sweats, and I purposely avoid his gaze. It's not _my fault_ I've grown out of children's' clothing. If I'd been stuck here three years ago _maybe_ I could've fit into Mei's clothes. Maybe.

"Mother," he starts, sounding a mix between exasperated and furious. "Was it really necessary to bring those back out? You couldn't have given her some of Mei's clothes?"

Yue shakes her head. "Yuan, she's fourteen; not _ten."_

"It's not like I've got cooties y'know," I start, only for my thoughts to come to an abrupt halt at Yue's statement. "Wait, _what?"_

She gives me a curious look and I stuff down the urge to squawk. "I'm _eighteen!"_

Her eyebrows furrow. "Oh; are you? My mistake. You'll appreciate it when you get older, though — looking young is always a good thing, you know."

"But —"

Mei pops out from behind me, startling the living hell out of me, and I jump. "Shi—!" I bite back the curse, frantically searching for some kind of replacement when Yuan's eyes narrow dangerously, "—zzznit, y-you scared me!" The look takes a step down, from glowering to simply glaring, and I press a hand to my heart.

"Sorry," she apologizes. "Wanna play with me and Jin?"

I glance over at the boy, attempting to figure out what exactly they're playing with. "Uhh … what are you playing?"

"We're doing a puzzle." She frowns, crossing her arms over her chest. "Jin's not very good, though."

Yue shakes her head, bringing over a somewhat large plate of what looks like some kind of pork and vegetables. "Mei, it's time to eat; go wash your hands."

Obediently — and damn, she didn't even argue in the _least_ — Mei trots over to brother and pulls him along with her. He protests enough for the both of them and I wince at the noise, feeling entirely out of place in here. I'm a stranger; I shouldn't be here.

The awkwardness is cranked up a notch when Yuan gets up from the couch he's sitting on and begins to help Yue put down plates. I watch, dumbfounded. The Yuan from the game didn't ever seem like the kind of person to help out; what's next, he's going to crack a _joke?_

As it turns out, he's not that different, but dinner is still incredibly awkward and my appetite is all but absent. I feel awful for not taking very much, but I'm having trouble finishing the small amount I've taken, and I'd rather take too little than take too much.

A wave of dizziness hits me halfway through and I raise a hand to my head, wincing. The room spins, and I grip the table with my free hand, squeezing my eyes shut. "Avery?" Yue starts, her tone worried. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah!" I reply, and I curse the way my voice shakes. "I — ugh … I'm sorry. Can I —" my head is pounding and it's as if someone has lit it on fire and holy shit I think I'm going to be sick —

I choke back bile, forcing myself to relax in my panic; remind myself that I'm in someone else's house, that I can't go making a scene — even if it feels like I'm going to either pass out or throw up or _both_ — until it's just me.

"Oh, you poor thing …" I hear Yue mumble, before she pushes back her chair and gets up. "Why don't we get you back to bed?"

I peek up at her through half-screwed up eyes, and she gives me a sympathetic but warm smile that reminds me so much of my mother that I freeze.

My mother, my _mother is she alright?_ Has she noticed I'm missing? The last thing I remember —

… Wait, what _is_ the last thing I remember?

"Avery?" Yue calls out, sounding more worried than she did seconds ago, "Avery? What's wrong?"

I'm shaking and heaving but I can't _stop, I can't do it because where am I — where did I go wrong, how did I get here?_ Why can't I remember? Why, why , _why —_

I'm being pulled up and someone leads me along; I barely realize it until I'm being gently pushed back onto something soft — a bed? My bed? — and a hand flutters across my forehead, soft enough that I don't react.

Yue mumbles something before getting up and leaving. Immediately I roll onto my side and off the bed, landing harshly on my knees. I barely feel the impact. "Shit," I whisper, my voice filled with terror as I wrack my brain desperately. "Where was I? What was I _doing?"_

There was graduation, the pictures, my parents and family congratulating me — there was the celebration afterward; the school's way of keeping us sober and our last real chance to be around all our classmates and friends, and then —

 _Then what?_

I grasp my head between my hands, breaths coming out in desperate pants as I attempt to breathe through stifling panic. "No, no, no what was I doing? Where _was I what was I doing?"_

Tears burn my eyes and I immediately wipe them away, pulling at the skin of my cheeks desperately. Maybe it's a trick, or a hallucination or maybe I'm _dreaming, maybe this is some awful dream that I'll wake up from soon —_

The harder I pull, though, the worse the pain becomes; but I don't wake up. I ball my hand into a fist, raising it into the air and _slamming_ it down on my thigh, but I don't wake up. I repeat the action again, and again and _again and again and againand just wake up already why won't you waKE UP—_

"What are you _doing?"_

Someone grasps my arm, stopping its decent, and suddenly everything _shatters._ I look up tearfully, noticing the stern expression and confused eyes that meet mine. Yuan's grip on my wrist tightens just barely, more than enough to keep me from lashing out.

But I won't.

I _can't._

I drop my head, ignoring the awful, disgusting sobs retching from my throat. "I — Yuan, I-I can't remember; I don't — what was I doing? I can't — can't remember anything, just — just —"

 _What happened?_

"It has to be a dream; a fucked up, sick, disgusting, awful _dream,_ but I —" my voice cracks, growing weak, "I can't remember. What I was doing … I can't — where _am I?_ "

If it's not a dream, then what? What _is it?_

Yuan looks over his shoulder and I follow his gaze, my heart sinking when I see the two small figures watching in horror. How long were they standing there for? How much did they _see?_

"I — I'm sorry," I whisper, my voice creaking under my tears. The pit in my stomach grows larger and suddenly I want nothing more than to leap back out the window and disappear.

Yue quickly herds the children away, grabbing the door as she does, and I hear Mei ask, "Mama, why is she crying?" before they get too far to hear.

Yuan gives me a wary look, but when I don't make any further movements he releases my wrist. Immediately I drop it to my leg, hissing in pain when I prod at it gently. I'm going to be bruised as fuck tomorrow.

Yuan watches me for a moment, and when he sees that I'm not going to start punching myself again he gets to his feet. "Now that that spectacular display is over with," he drawls, "I'd advise you to head to bed."

"B-But —"

Yuan scoffs, shaking his head. "You've worried my mother enough for one day. I didn't come home to watch her work herself ragged over a stranger."

The words hit harder than they should, but they do the trick. Reluctantly I rise, grimacing when pain flares to life in my leg, and haul myself back onto the bed. Yuan nods, turning to leave, and I call out to him.

"Yuan?" He doesn't turn around, his hand wrapping around the door knob. "Are you a soldier?"

He pauses for a moment before twisting his wrist pushing open the door. "Yes."

I swallow hard, desperate to figure out something, _anything_ to figure out where I was in terms of the plot … thing, whatever this is. "Can you —"

"No," he replies curtly, not even allowing me to finish, before he exits the room and closes the door behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Tales Of Symphonia © Namco**

 **Map posted, for reference, on my profile.**

* * *

I don't sleep very much that night, and by the time I rise from the bed, all I have is a half-assed, stupidly formed plan that will hopefully get me some kind of information.

Still, that plan is relying heavily on _Yuan_ of all people, so I'll probably have to fix it a couple _thousand_ fucking times. I've only known him for half a day and already I can see how difficult of a person he is.

I thought he was a hard-ass in the game, but this?

This makes future-him look like some fucking pansy. Seriously.

My leg is terribly sore, and when I slide the sweatpants off to inspect the damage I grimace. My thigh is covered in an array of red and green bruises and when I move I nearly fall over from how stiff it is.

"Jesus Christ … I really freaked out last night," I murmur as I pull the sweats back up and force myself out of bed. I should probably ice it or something if Yue doesn't want to kick me out. I stare at the door for a few seconds, contemplating just leaping out the window again to avoid facing her. She probably won't even send Yuan after me this time.

I hope.

Still, the thought of icing my leg sounds a lot nicer than dicking around in the snow without any socks or shoes, so I swallow my embarrassment and force myself to exit the room. The walk down from the room to the kitchen seems to take too long and not long enough at the same time, and I'm quite proud that I don't collapse when I notice both Yuan and Yue in the kitchen.

Jin and Mei are nowhere to be seen, thankfully, and I swallow my pride and approach. "I'm sorry," I bite out, when I'm close enough to hold an actual conversation. "I — uh … last night was out of line. I don't really know what happened."

"Your leg must be sore," Yue responds, completely ignoring my apology. "Why don't you sit down, and I'll get some ice for it."

I all but collapse into a chair. Yuan is reading over some kind of newspaper or something, a mostly empty mug resting to the left of his hand, and I tap my fingers across the table, my nails clacking against the surface.

"Stop." I blink, and Yuan doesn't bother glancing up from what he's reading. I'm tempted to continue just to irritate him, but considering my plan is almost entirely based around him, I don't have the luxury to be a pain in the ass at the moment.

I move my hands to my lap just in case. "Sorry," I say lowly. Yue returns with a leather bag of some sorts, and I take it, offering a small "Thank you" before pressing it above the spot. The fabric of the sweatpants lessens the cold even more, but not to the point where it's unnoticeable.

I spare another glance at the newspaper. "Can I see that?" I ask, when Yue retreats from the table again. "I'm curious what's going on."

"A war," is the terse response I get. Still, it's better than yesterday, so I press on regardless.

"Over what?" More than ever, I find myself longing for my phone as a distraction.

There's a brief flicker of green, and internally I pat myself on the back. "Are you aware of what Mana is?"

I shake my head. "No."

His grip on the newspaper tightens momentarily before he folds it and passes it over to me. "It is what keeps the planet alive," he informs me as I read over the cover page. "The Great Kharlan Tree, which supplies the planet with Mana, is being rapidly depleted."

"By the war?" I question, skimming the contents of the page. There's really nothing in regards to the fine details; only about recent battle successes, losses, and then some nationalist columns. All around, it reminds me of the newspapers printed back in the American Revolutionary war.

"By the Tethe'allans," he corrects. "The amount of Mana they've used up in the last seven hundred years is excessive."

My eyebrows furrow. "How long has this war been going on, anyways?"

Yue returns, placing down a cup of tea for me. "That's enough," she says sternly. "Yuan — you know how I feel about war talk."

"Yes, I'm aware, Mother." I barely have enough time to blink before he's pushing his chair away from the table and heading towards the door. "But if you're going to entertain the idea of this girl having amnesia, you should at least inform her what's going on."

"I'm going out," he finishes, and I leap to my feet, only to stumble in shock when a deep pain shoots down my leg. "Be careful."

"Hey, wait—!" The door is shut before I can even attempt to stop him. I lean heavily onto the table, using my arm to support my weight. "Dammit …"

Yue returns to the kitchen with a look of slight annoyance. "Just ignore him, Avery ... he's quite stressed over the war; we all are."

I fall back into the seat, staring at the still open paper on the table. "I just asked some questions," I grumble, folding my arms and resting my head on them. "He doesn't have to be such a dick about it."

"He was right in saying you have a mouth to you," Yue notes, but she doesn't seem too irritated. "Drink your tea before it gets cold."

Reluctantly I raise my head, curling my fingers through the handle. The liquid is still incredibly hot, but I force myself to take a sip. It tastes like oolong.

"I had things I wanted to ask him," I mutter, retrieving the fallen ice pack from the floor. I place it back on my leg. "How old is he, anyways? He acts all high and mighty, like he's _so_ much better than all of us and—"

Abruptly I cut myself off; I'm talking to his _mother._ "Uh—" I stammer, stumbling for an apology, "I mean — I didn't mean—"

Yue shakes her head, chuckling in amusement, and I fall silent. "Oh, Avery," she starts, offering me a smile. "You know, saying that to any other mother would definitely lead to a bad reaction."

I wince. "Yeah … sorry. I didn't mean to be rude."

"I'm fully aware of Yuan's attitude," she admits. I take another sip of the tea, thankful that it's cooled to a better temperature. "He's always been this way, to an extent, but being promoted to such a high rank at only twenty six definitely fueled the flames."

I blink. "He's only twenty six?"

"Twenty seven now." There's a clinking of dishes and I lean back with a sigh. "He acts prickly, but deep down he does have a heart. Don't let him bother you."

I run my fingers across the newspaper. ' _Battle of Iselia'_ it reads. I've already skimmed the passage once, but I go through it a second time.

 _'During the morning of the winter solstice of 8162, Tethe'allan General Artemis Constantinou's army was defeated by an army lead by Lieutenant Colonel Ka-Fai of Asgard. With Tethe'allan casualties reaching into the low hundreds, the skirmish took place about 20 kilometers from the village of Iselia. Backed with only a force of 500, Lieutenant Colonel Ka-Fai and his men's victory over Constantinou has successfully ended the trail of destruction left during the violent siege of through the Ossa Trail and Triet.'_

Of course, it's all about Yuan.

Self-absorbed asshole.

"Yue?" I start, resting the paper flat on the table and splaying my hands out across it. "Do you have a map or anything I can look at?"

"A map?" She repeats. I turn in my chair so I can look at her, placing the ice bag on the table. She wipes her hands on a small towel, heading into the living room and searching through a few books. "Here we go."

She lays the paper out in front of me, and I lean forward to examine it.

It … doesn't look like I expected it to. In all honesty, I'd been expecting to see the same map from Dawn of The New World. Instead, while it is vaguely alike, the continents are differently spaced, though reminiscent of the original game's layout.

I frown, and Yue glances over my shoulder. "I'm guessing you don't recognize anything?" She asks, and I shake my head.

"Not really …" I chew on my lip, before lying, "It _feels_ familiar, like deja-vu or something, but …"

She lays a hand on my shoulder. "Don't stress yourself out; it'll only make it more difficult to remember." She straightens up, offering me a reassuring smile. "Now then; would you mind assisting me with lunch?"

* * *

Yuan returns four hours later with Mei and Jin in tow. They're both giggling up a storm when the trio enter the house, with Mei clinging to Yuan's neck in some weird version of a piggy back and Jin hanging from his arm. Yuan shakes them off when they enter the house, and not even a minute later the kids are rushing into the living room.

"Mom!" Jin starts loudly, practically catapulting across the sofa so he can scramble up next to her. "Guess what Yuan did!"

She raises an eyebrow. "Oh? What did grumpy old Yuan do today?"

"He told the teacher off for talking bad about half-elves; it was really amazing!" He spares a look at me, his expression contorting in surprise. "Hey, lady; what's wrong with you, anyways?"

Mei is at his side in a flash, poking him in the ribcage fiercely. "Jin!" She snaps in a shout-whisper that does little to keep me from hearing, "Why do you gotta be so rude all the time?"

"You asked mom the same thing yesterday," he snaps back, and I distance myself from their conversation, instead turning to look at Yuan, who's heading down the halls. I push myself to my feet and follow after him.

He pauses at the doorway, turning to look at me, and I keep his hard gaze for nearly an entire twenty seconds before blinking and turning away.

In comparison to my family I wouldn't exactly consider myself short; with my mother not even breaking 150cm, and my father being only ten centimeters taller than me, my height could be a lot worse than 161cm. But standing in front of Yuan, without anything to distract me, makes me feel really _really_ small.

Easily he has ten centimeters on my _dad_ ; I'd say it's probably closer to twelve or thirteen, to be honest. Still, I force myself to ignore how intimidating it is and straighten my shoulders.

"Can you teach me how to fight?"

He says nothing, simply raising an eyebrow in mock interest. I grit my teeth, balling my hands into fists. "I asked you a question."

"Which requires no answer," he responds back, his tone mimicking mine. "What makes you think I have any interest in training a civilian?"

This time I'm the one who raises an eyebrow. "I thought you thought I was a spy," I accuse. "You were all up in arms about it yesterday."

He scoffs. "You'd have to be one hell of an actor to pull off a show like last night." His eyes flicker down to my leg, before raising back to my face. "Not to mention you weigh as much as a child. No muscle definition at all."

"Just answer the damn question," I spit out, fighting back the urge to insult him. If I didn't actually need his help and consent, I probably would.

"You really need me to answer?" He narrows his eyes into a glare. "No."

I glance over my shoulder; I can hear Yue entertaining the kids, listening intently to their stories from school. I turn my attention back to Yuan. "Why not?"

He scoffs. "Why _not_? A more appropriate answer would be why I'd even consider it."

"Because — I can't stay here forever." My nails begin to dig into my skin, and I unclench my palms. "I can't burden Yue with that — and if there's really a _war_ going on out there, I can't just go dicking around in the wildlife; I'll _die_."

"And that's my concern why?"

I pause. "Well," I struggle for a moment. "A Tethe'allan soldier could find me. They could take me captive — considering I'm living in the house of _Lieutenant Colonel Ka-Fai,_ " I quote, managing to remember the title from the newspaper this morning, "I can't guarantee I wouldn't let anything bad slip."

For a few seconds, there's silence between us. The look Yuan is directing at me is positively murderous; I'd be nine feet under if looks could kill.

"Are you blackmailing me?" He asks, slowly, his tone dangerous. I swallow.

Maybe this wasn't the best route to take.

"N-No," I reply, my voice shaking despite my attempts to keep the illusion of bravado. "But I'm just saying, it's not entirely safe—"

Yuan's jaw clenches, and for a moment I'm honestly afraid he's going to backhand me or something. He glances over my shoulders, shutting his eyes and breathing in deeply. I take a step back, half considering running for it or something until his eyes reopen. He fixes me with a slightly subdued version of his earlier glare.

"Ignoring the threat you just made," he starts, and I release the breath I've been holding, "do you know what the likelihood of that happening is?"

I don't respond. "No, of course you wouldn't; as you've brought up, you have no memory." He taps his fingers across his arm, continuing, "If, by chance, you're captured by the Tethe'allan army, you will have no useful information to tell them You'll be interrogated, you'll know nothing, and they'll kill you."

"I —I—" I stumble for a response, but the tightness of my throat makes it hard to even breathe. "But—"

" _Don't_ go blackmailing people." He takes a step forward and I scramble back, barely managing to avoid stumbling in my haste. "Especially when you're asking for a _favor."_

For a few seconds I'm silent, waiting for him to spit out some other acerbic remark. When nothing comes I shakily exhale, ignoring how fast my heart is beating. "I just want to be safe," I croak, unable to meet his face this time around. "I don't want to fucking _die;_ I-I'm a girl, you know? What if they do — do bad things? Like — like—"

"Rape you?" He finishes impassively. "Torture you?"

I nod weakly. "T-They're barbarians," I whisper. "The paper — it said it itself. It said —"

"The paper is written by a bunch of cowardly fools speaking out their ass and pandering to the masses," he spits out, as if the words burn him. "If you really believe them, you're more of an idiot than I thought."

The words hit me hard, and I'm torn between being livid and being completely cowed. Unable to think of a proper response I say silent, and Yuan shakes his head.

"With a body like yours, you've likely never touched a weapon." Before I can respond, he continues on, "Considering you have no memory, there is no real way to confirm this without throwing you into combat and seeing how you react; if you're lucky, this won't happen."

"And if I'm not?" I ask quietly, already knowing the answer.

His eyes bore into mine. "Use your own head; it's not too difficult to imagine what'll happen."

I glance down at my sock covered feet. "I'll die," I finish softly. "I'll be cut down and slaughtered."

"Or you'll be cornered by a monster and eaten," he points out, and I grimace at the thought. "Either way, your likelihood of survival is small."

"That's not my fault! _"_ I argue, anger quickly overriding my temporary meekness. "I'm _trying_ to ask you for help, since you're apparently so fucking good at battles and shit and take down armies that are, like, twice your army's size, but you just keep refusing!"

Yuan raises an eyebrow, his demeanor not changing. "You've asked once."

"And you said no," I grumble. "Might as well just toss myself out in the snow and freeze to death; at least I'll be spared the gruesome, painful death of being eviscerated."

If possible, Yuan manages to raise his eyebrow even _further._ "How old are you again?"

I bite the inside of my cheek. "Eighteen."

"Eighteen," he repeats. "Then do tell why you're acting like a child? It's getting you nowhere."

"I wasn't getting anywhere in the first place," I mumble. "And what kind of child knows the word _eviscerate?"_

He gives me an unamused look. "One who isn't dumb as rocks," he replies evenly. "A child is anyone under the age of sixteen, not _six."_

"And how old are _you?"_ I snark back. "Picking arguments with an eighteen year old? If you're really twenty seven years old —"

"Enough," he finally snaps. "You've complained more than enough, and quite frankly you're getting on my nerves. My mother may have been the one to allow you into her home, but she is not the only who lives here."

With that he turns on his heel and continues down the hallway. "Hey — wait!" I call out, attempting to gain his attention back, but the sound of a door slamming — no, firmly shutting would probably be the best description — cuts me off, and I let my hand fall to my side.

* * *

"Would you like to accompany me to drop the kids off?" Yue asks the next morning. "We could get you some clothes as well."

I blink, looking at her incredulously. "Why would you buy me clothes?"

"You're a girl," she starts, adjusting the scarf around Jin's neck. "You should have at least one pair of clothes that belong to you."

I furrow my eyebrows. "What about the ones I was in when you found me?"

This time, Yue is the one to give me a look. "Avery," she starts, sounding slightly exasperated, "You were dressed as if it were summer. It's a miracle you didn't freeze to death."

I open my mouth to say something, only to let it fall away. It's not like I can tell her that, before she found me, I was in a completely different world in the _summer._ "Still," I mutter, staring blankly at the borrowed pair of shoes on my feet, "you really don't need to buy me anything —"

"If you really plan on learning to fight, you'd best have something actually fit for battle." She catches my shocked expression and offers me an amused smile. "What, you thought I didn't know?"

I swallow dryly. "How did you find out?"

"I had a hunch," she replies, ushering the kids out of the door. I follow them out, and she locks the door behind her, watching as the two crunch through the snow ahead. "But when I heard you yelling at Yuan yesterday I put two and two together."

"Ah …" I wiggle my mitten covered fingers, thankful that Yue was willing to lend me some winter clothes. They're almost all Yuan's old clothes, excluding the mittens and scarf wrapped around my neck. "Sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

Yue shakes her head. "I'm not angry," she tells me. "We live in dangerous times — it's a blessing that Midgard is protected by the mountains like it is; we'd be caught in the battles if it wasn't.

"War …" I sigh, craning my head back to stare up at the sky. Despite the heavy snowfall last night, it's completely clear this morning, though the temperature is still freezing. "How long has it been going on for?"

"Nearly a thousand years, now." Yue's eyes are locked on the kids, a wistful look lingering in the depths. "My first son, Jie, was lost to the war."

"Oh." I swallow again. "I'm sorry for your loss."

She shakes her head. "That was a long time ago," she replies. "Elves … we live quite a bit longer than humans — he was nearly 100 when he passed away … he'd be about 250 if he'd lived."

"250?" I repeat, my eyes wide. "Oh geez … how long do elves live?"

Yue crosses her arms. "About a thousand years, I'd say. Elves don't age like humans do."

I hum quietly, glancing into the cave we pass. I can see the figures of horses through the shadows. "That's incredible … so are they —" I gesture at Jin and Mei, "—a lot older than they seem?"

"No," Yue responds with a slight laugh. "No; they're the same age they appear. An elf will continue aging like a human until they reach their late twenties; then, the growth slows considerably."

Without really thinking I ask, "So then, how old are you, Yue?" It takes me a moment to realize how rude that was, and I quickly stumble for an apology, "Ah — sorry, I don't mean to be rude."

"Don't you know that's the one question to never ask a woman?" She teases with a laugh. "I'm 437 years old."

I stumble, barely managing to catch myself before I fall on my face. Yue's hand shoots out to grasp my arm, and I offer her a thankful look as I right myself. "S-Sorry," I stammer, my face flushing in embarrassment. "I didn't mean to be rude, I was just—"

"Shocked?" She finishes, and I nod. "Yes, most humans are. Considering the age of my children, many expect me to be quite a bit younger."

"So Yuan's aging hasn't stagnated yet?" I guess and she nods, pushing a strand of blue hair from her eyes. "Um … if I can ask, why did you wait so long between your first son and him?"

Yue brings a hand to her chin in thought. "Well … my first husband died a few decades before Jie of old age; losing them both in such a short period of time was painful," she admits. "It was after their deaths that I moved to Midgard to mourn; unlike myself, my first husband was not born in Heimdall … he was not an elf; he was a human."

I frown. Heimdall is the elf village, right? I remember it being insanely close knit; why would she leave? Hell, that would make her first son a half-elf, right? Weren't half-elves supposed to be widely hated in this world?

I don't voice that thought; considering I'm supposedly dealing with amnesia, it wouldn't make sense for me to ask those kinds of questions. Instead, I ask, "So Yuan is a half-elf?"

Yue winces before admitting, "… Yes."

"What about Mei and Jin?" I ask. "Are they half-elves too?"

"No; they're pure blood. Yuan's father … well, he was killed in the war." Yue closes her eyes momentarily, and I see her hands shaking. I don't ask about who their father is; considering Yue's reaction, it's obviously not something she wants to talk about; there's only a seventeen year difference between Yuan and Mei, after all.

We reach the school only a few moments later; it's small, but not ragged like I expected. There's a small courtyard, covered in snow, and half melted snowmen and snow piles cover the ground. There's a small, metal gate surrounding the perimeter, and a woman in her mid thirties is standing by the entryway welcoming the kids.

"Bye mom, bye Avery!" Mei calls over her shoulder, and Jin parrots the same thing to us. Yue offers a small wave, making her way to the woman and beginning to talk about something. They're too far for me to hear.

A pair of boys pass me; they're only a few years younger than I am. "I heard that the military is recruiting today," the one on the left states. "Even Yuan is going to be there!"

The other boy's eyes widen. "Whoa, really? That's awesome — we gotta go and see him!"

"If you get accepted into the military, we won't have to worry about school anymore," left says. "We'll be able to take down those stupid Tethe'allans and stop the war."

I frown, watching their backs as they continue chattering. Is that why Yuan returned home? His family didn't seem too shocked, so it's doubtful that he neglects returning home, but it'd make sense.

 _'If Yuan keeps refusing to teach me to fight, I could always join the military,'_ I think. Then I snort, shaking my head in amusement — I want to _survive,_ not be sent out to the front lines and killed. Still … I can file it away as a last resort.

I take a step forward, intending to go after them, only to be stopped when Yue returns to my side. "Ready?" she asks, and I frown, sparing one last glance at the boys before reluctantly nodding.

"Can I ask one more question?" I ask, and when Yue nods I breathe out softly. "In the newspaper from yesterday, there was a column — it talked badly about half-elves." I hesitate, before asking, "How is it that Yuan is so well respected if half-elves are hated? I heard people wanting to go to military recruits just to see him."

"Ah —" Yue pauses. "Midgard is one of the best places in Sylvarant — Sylvarant _and_ Tethe'alla, actually — for a half-elf to be raised," she explains, leading us back towards the heart of the town. "Many of the younger children here idolize him simply because of all he's done in the war. As a whole, Midgard does not discriminate like the rest of the world."

I cross my arms over my chest, shivering when a breeze cuts through the air. "… I see." It's surprisingly busy considering the state of things, though Yue did mention that the mountain range is the reason Midgard is so well off. "You know, Yue — you really don't need to buy me anything." I side step around a pile of snow. "I don't want to waste your money."

"It's not a waste, Avery," she replies with only a hint of exasperation, "if anything, it helps me out; I don't have to listen to Yuan complain about sharing his old clothes with a girl."

I snicker at that, biting back a smile. "It's not like they'd fit him … he must still be in the cootie phase."

"It wouldn't surprise me," Yue replies with a laugh. "Always was the heart breaker, that one. There was this one time, when he was about Mei's age; a girl in his class confessed to him."

I whistle. "Oh boy … how did that turn out?"

"Awfully." Despite her words, there's a small, reminiscent smile on her face as she talks. "He told her, point blank, that he didn't care about whether she was crushing on him or not, and that she was going to get him sick by being so close to him. Of course, I scolded him and forced him to apologize the next day, but … well, he's always been a rough boy."

I wince. "Ouch … that's harsh. Poor kid …"

"Of course, now that he's a military official it's a bit more acceptable, but …" Yue sighs, pushing open the door of one of the shops and stepping in, "I still worry about him getting in trouble with that mouth of his."

"Ah — yeah, he's … kind of blunt," I agree, remembering our conversation in the hallway yesterday. "He knows what to say to hurt someone."

"Unfortunately," she mumbles. "Now, why don't we pick out an outfit or two for you? Try to pick something _warm_ if you can."

I snicker. "What, you don't think that tank top over there is a good choice? It looks perfect for this time of year if I'd say so myself."

Yue sighs, simply nudging me not-so-subtly in the right direction in response. I go without protest.

By the time we leave, nearly an hour has passed, and I can't help but feel completely exhausted for some reason. Although my fever has gone down almost completely, according to Yue, I'm still obviously sick if my energy levels and lethargy are anything to go by.

"Tired?" I glance at Yue in surprise, and she smiles in amusement. "What? I am a mother, Avery; we see everything."

"Ah — really?" I clench my hands into fists momentarily before unclenching them, wiggling my fingers. The gloves are a godsend. "Damn. I thought I was good at hiding things."

"Maybe from the children," she replies, turning down another street that I don't recognize. "But remember, I've had four children — plenty of experience."

I hum. "I guess that's true."

"Speaking of the children …" she fixes me with a level look, "I know that you're an adult, so I won't scold you about your language, but please try not to be too explicit around Mei and Jin."

"Um, yeah," I mumble, glancing down as I talk. "I know — Yuan told me the same thing. I'll do my best."

Yue nods, patting my shoulder softly. "Thank you." The rest of the walk back is silent, and it isn't until she's unlocking the front door that she finally speaks again. "Does the name Palmacosta sound familiar to you?"

"Palmacosta?" I repeat. "Uh … maybe? Why?"

"The way you talk is fairly similar to those living there," Yue notes as she removes her shoes and sheds her coat. "It's a port town on the other side of Hakonesia Peak — here, let me show you."

She retrieves the map, placing it down on the table and beckoning me over. I glance at the spot she points to. "Palmacosta is right here — not too far from Midgard, but still a considerable distance … it's connected by port to Izoold," she points to another spot on a different continent, "which is a smaller fishing town on the outskirts of the Iselian continent."

"I … I see," I mumble, guilt curling in my stomach. "I'm sorry — I still can't remember anything …" I look away as I speak, unable to meet her eyes. Here Yue is, trying so hard to get me to _remember,_ and yet I can't — because I've never lived in this world, I've never visited _any of these towns;_ I shouldn't exist here.

Sick. I feel sick.

"It's no trouble, Avery," she reassures, patting me on the shoulder as she goes to return the map to its place. "Amnesia is a tricky thing; you'd probably remember if you visited some places, but …" she trails off. "With how it is now, that's not an option unless you join the military."

I glance out the window. "Well," I start, with a hint of dry humor in my voice, "I heard they're recruiting today. Maybe if I show up there Yuan will agree to let me in."

"Oh, no." I blink at the stern voice, and Yue fixes me with a look that's a cross between frustrated and concerned. "Avery, you wouldn't make it ten feet into the military. No past, no memories … not to mention you're still _sick_."

I frown, crossing my arms over my chest. "It was just a joke …"

"I can try talking to Yuan about it if you'd really prefer," she offers, but I quickly shake my head.

No — that's alright. It's … this is my problem," I tell her with a sigh. "I have to convince him on my own."

Yue smiles slightly. "… Yes, you're right," she agrees. "He'd only get mad if I tried. He's a lot like his father in that way … both have devilishly short tempers."

I shuffle in place. "I'm — … going to go put these away," I finally start, waving the bag in my hand. "I'll be back."

"Oh, yes — do try them on. I'd like to see how they fit," Yue requests, and I nod.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading, please leave a review with any feedback or thoughts you had during the story or afterwards! I appreciate all feedback.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Tales of Symphonia** **Namco**

* * *

After dinner is done and over with, Yuan retreats to his room. I watch him go silently, swallowing hard before returning my attention back to the dishes. I offered to do them, despite Yue insisting I don't have to, and while they're already almost done I find myself becoming antsy.

"Hey, Avery!" Mei calls, from her place in the living room, "You wanna play with me and Jin after you're done?"

"Mei," Yue chastises, "let Avery have some time to herself. She played with you all day yesterday and before dinner."

Reluctantly Mei agrees, and I breathe out heavily. Within another ten minutes the dishes are finished, and I wipe my hands on a dish towel, drying off the water. "I'll … be right back," I tell the three of them, already making my way through the halls and towards the room Yuan entered.

I hesitate when I get there, hand hovering above the wood. Will he snap at me? Yell? Our last conversation ended … less than amicably, and while I dread facing him after it I _have_ to. Yuan is my only link to the outside world — to surviving in this hellish place.

Sure, I don't know how I got here, or how I'll get back — but I'm almost 100% positive that sitting around in Midgard isn't going to get me any closer to home. The only way I'll have a chance of returning back to Earth is if I can leave this place and explore this world on my own.

I exhale shakily, rasping my knuckles against the wood twice before letting my hand fall to my side. There's a moment of silence, and then a grumble, and — "Come in."

I creak the door open slowly. Yuan's back is to me; he's seated at a desk, various papers and books scattered across the wood. His head raises momentarily when the door clicks shut again, and when he sees me his expression sours.

"What is it?"

I swallow dryly. Now or never, I guess.

"I —" I drop into a low bow, squeezing my eyes shut. "I'm sorry."

Yuan says nothing and I straighten my posture up, meeting his gaze head on. "Yesterday — I shouldn't have tried blackmailing you," I admit. "I was scared, but … it was wrong. So I'm sorry."

He's silent for a moment longer, before he looks away. "Alright," he replies. "Is that all?

I blanche, suddenly overcome by annoyance, but I fight it down. Now is _not_ the time to lose my temper. Yesterday is a testament of how things'll go if that happens, and I'd prefer not to have a repeat of that conversation.

"Why won't you teach me to fight?"

I actually _hear_ him sigh in response, and prepare myself for a scathing comment. "Didn't we go over this already?" he asks, turning to face me for the first time in the conversation. "I don't see why I need to repeat myself to you."

"You said it yourself — I'll die if I leave Midgard." I chew my bottom lip, stuffing my hands into my pockets. "But you also don't want Yue to be burdened with me — so you want me to leave," I point out. "I can't do _both._ And — and I … I don't want to burden her for too long."

"I want to find my home," I say, looking up at the man with only a sliver of hesitation, "I want to _remember_ and — and not have these fucking _blank spots_ in my memory! If I stay here, I can't, and I'll just be a burden on Yue and — and —"

"She's already done so much for me," I croak. "She's letting me stay here, she's feeding me; hell, she even bought me _clothes_. I can't keep imposing forever, but I can't leave unless I know how to fight."

Yuan clasps his hands over his lap, watching me with a careful detachment. "I don't have time to devote to training you," he says evenly. "I'm set to return to the front lines in two weeks — you aren't naive enough to believe you'll learn to properly fight in such a short amount of time, are you?"

"No, I'm not," I reply. "But if you just — just teach me the _basics_ I'll be fine. I could keep training on my own."

He frowns, and I continue when he makes no effort to stop me. "You have to stay in shape somehow, right? I — if you train me, I'll be your personal punching bag. Or … cutting bag. Whatever."

" _No._ " I'm take off guard by the hardness in his voice, and Yuan is all but glowering when I meet his eyes. "Are you an idiot? Why would you even offer something like that; do you have a _death wish?_ "

I shift uncomfortably. "I just want to learn to fight. _Please,_ Yuan … I promise I won't complain, or whine about it, or — or try and get out of it—"

He holds up a hand, effectively halting my rambling, and takes a moment before ordering, "Give me fifteen pushups."

"W-What?"

"Are you deaf?" he narrows his eyes. "Fifteen. _Now."_

I drop to the floor, immediately attempting to mimic the correct position. "On my count," he says, before beginning.

I make it to nine before my arms are shaking too badly to go all the way down. When Yuan calls out _"Fifteen"_ I collapse, gasping and wincing in pain. It's been years since I last did pushups.

Yuan nods slightly. "Can you run?"

"I, uh, I think so," I mumble, getting back to my feet. "Do you want me to?"

"No. My mother would skin me if I made you run while you're still sick." Yuan leans forward, and I meet his gaze head on. "When you're no longer sick, we'll see how good your stamina is; so until then, don't _bother me._ Understand?"

I furrow my eyebrows. "Uh, yeah, sure. Is that a yes, then?"

Yuan sighs, rubbing his temples wearily. "Yes, Avery. But there's only so much I can teach you in two weeks."

I grin. "That's fine! Really — two weeks is still enough." I drop into another bow. "Thank you."

He looks at me, a hint of exasperation shining in his eyes. "Are you done, then?"

"Uh-huh. Do you … uh, should I leave you alone, then?"

"If you'd be so _kind_."

* * *

Yue gives me the clear the next day, and I manage to catch Yuan as he steps out of his room that morning.

"I can run," I tell him, hands clenched into fists. "Yue said I'm fine now. Not sick."

"Wonderful," he drawls. "And you had to practically run into me to tell me this _why?"_

I blush in embarrassment. "Isn't training supposed to happen in the morning? It's early."

"Why don't you go eat something first," he offers, though it's more of a thinly veiled order judging by his tone of voice. "You'll want as much energy as you can get."

As everyone settles down for breakfast Mei slides into the seat beside Yuan, patting her hands against the table. "Hey, Yuan — guess what?"

Yuan glances down at her, and Mei grins. "I'm the student of the week; that means I get to take care of the class pet, and make sure everyone does what they're supposed to! I'm just like you."

"Like me, huh?" he responds. "Why do you say that?"

" _Because,"_ Mei stresses, "you're in the army! You tell people what to do and make sure they do it — and that's what I get to do this week."

Yuan smiles slightly — which isn't unusual when he's around his siblings, I've noticed. His _pleasant_ demeanor tends to be, for the most part, absent around Mei and Jin, but it's still a bit weird to see on his face when all of my encounters with the man have been the complete opposite.

"Make sure you're fair," he tells Mei, ruffling her hair lightly enough that he doesn't mess it up very much. "Don't make anyone do anything you wouldn't do yourself."

Mei sighs, fixing her hair with her fingers. " _Fiine."_ She pauses when Yue puts a plate down in front of her. "Will you walk us to school today, Yuan?"

"Yeah!" Jin calls out, leaning over the table towards the two of them. Yue scolds him, and he leans back into a normal sitting position and orders, "Yuan, you're gonna walk us to school today!"

Yuan sighs, but reluctantly agrees as everyone begins eating. "Very well."

When breakfast is over with I offer to do the dishes for Yue; it's a bit later than usual for them to be leaving. She sends a ' _thanks'_ over her shoulder as the four of them leave, and Yuan offers me a single, "Be ready by the time we get back," before following his family out the door.

Thankfully the dishes don't take long at all, and it's as I'm adjusting the belt of my tunic that I hear the front door open. Yue and Yuan's voices filter through, although I can't quite hear what they're talking about, and I glance down at myself before exiting the room.

"Ah, I see you're actually ready," Yuan notes, still by the door. "Mother; you said Avery is clear for exercise?"

Yue nods, hanging her coat up by the door. "Yes — but don't be too rough on her, Yuan," she orders firmly. "Avery is not a recruit; do not treat her like one."

Yuan sighs. "I'm aware of that," he says evenly. "I have no desire to run her ragged."

"Good, good." She turns to me, nodding to herself as I shuffle in place. "Avery, don't push yourself too hard, alright? You've just finally gotten better — it'd be a shame for you to get sick again."

"Uh — yeah," I agree, "I won't. Thanks for the concern, Yue." I turn to look at Yuan, noticing how he hasn't even taken his shoes off. "So … are we ready?"

Yuan glances over me once more before nodding. "Yes. We'll be back later," he tells Yue, before cracking the door open and leading me outside. He retrieves two scabbards from behind the house, handing one off to me as we make our way to the outskirts of Midgard.

"So," I ask, when Yuan stops walking and turns to face me. "How true is the whole "trust your instincts" in a fight?"

Yuan cocks an eyebrow. "How true? Do you mean how effective it is?"

"Mhm." I pull the sword halfway out of the scabbard, frowning slightly when I realize it's wooden. The one he's holding is likely wooden as well. "I mean, does it actually work?"

"No and yes," he replies. "For the most part, though, it will get you into more trouble than good."

I blink. "How?"

Yuan drops his sword and takes a few steps forward until he's right in front of me. Then, out of nowhere his fist shoots out, aiming for my face. I flinch, raising my arms to block a punch that never comes — only to huff slightly when his other hand lightly presses against my gut.

"That's how." He steps back, regaining a normal amount of personal space. "Your first instinct is to protect your head, especially when someone is aiming for it. However, that leaves your entire midsection vulnerable to attack. If someone punches you in the stomach—" he crosses his arms over his chest, "—you'll curl forward, leaving yourself open to be kneed in the face."

"On top of that," Yuan continues, "people tend to use their instincts when angered or panicked. They aren't thinking properly in that state, and are therefore incredibly easy to take advantage of."

I sigh. "So what I'm hearing is instincts will get me killed."

"Generally," Yuan agrees. "That's not to say they're useless, but they're not what you want to rely on in a fight. The whole idea behind combat is to find a hole in your enemy's defense and use it against them." A wry expression comes across his face as he says, "Are you beginning to understand why I was hesitant to teach you in such a short time?"

"… Maybe."

Yuan retrieves the sword, and I follow suit, picking my own up. "Two weeks is just enough time to teach you the basics and some other things," Yuan tells me. "It won't be fun. If you want to back out, now's your chance."

I shake my head. "I'm not. I don't care if it's hard, or if I want to give up — I have to do this."

Yuan smirks slightly, shaking his head in amusement. "If you say so. Then, let's start."

* * *

Three days after our first training session, after Mei, Jin, and Yue had all fallen asleep, his words rushed back to me.

Rape, murder, torture … all those possibilities sent me into a panic; a fear that I haven't felt in years hit me like a wave, sending me into a pile of tears and fear—I'd escaped outside, to the snow, just in an attempt to calm down.

And that's how Yuan finds me, fifteen minutes later—huddled up in a ball on the back porch, trembling from the cold and huddled into a ball. The tears stopped, leaving me with just the panic. It's slowly dying away when he finds me.

"What's the problem now?" He asks, and I simply shake my head. "Did you have a nightmare or something?"

I shake my head again. "I—" I squeeze my eyes shut tightly, my chest constricting dangerously. "I-I'm so _scared."_

Yuan doesn't sit next to me, but he closes the door behind him and leans back against the wall. "Of?"

"You … you said it yourself." I hide my face in my knees. "Rape. Murder. Torture." I shiver again, and I'm not sure if it's from the cold or fear. "I'm going to be hurt again."

Yuan paused at that. "Again?"

I shake my head. "I …"

"So you've remembered something."

"It's not some-something good," I whisper back. "I wish I didn't remember it."

Yuan sighs, and after a long moment he says, "I apologize."

I blink. He moves so that he's beside me and then sits down as well, a good distance away from me. "Tell me about it."

I look down at the snow.

Can I?

"I … I was younger," I begin, forcing myself to keep calm despite my nerves going crazy. "Not a kid, but … fifteen."

"She cornered me." The words are oddly detached. I should feel more, but—

I don't.

It's like all my panic from earlier has disappeared; it's strange to talk about this. I've never mentioned it to anyone … it's funny that the first person to find out would also be the very person I would prefer not to know this about me.

"It wasn't like she did anything horribly bad … but I was helpless." I swallow ethically, looking out at the dark sky ahead of me. "I wish I didn't remember it."

Yuan pauses. Then, "It was triggered."

I look at him, and he sighs. "By what I said," he elaborates. "I was trying to scare you; but I had no intentions of bringing back such uncomfortable memories. My apologies."

"Oh—it's OK," I reply, my voice finally beginning to gain some strength back. "I-It's not like you knew anyways."

"Regardless," he replies, "my intentions don't matter. The fact of the matter is that what I said caused an unpleasant memory to resurface."

I hesitate, before nodding. I hold my legs to my chest, wiggling my cold toes. The silence isn't uncomfortable, and I think back to my family; to the happy memories, to all the good things that happened in my life.

Sadness washes through me, replacing my panic with longing.

It's when I'm about to start moping that Yuan gets to his feet and says, "It's time to come inside."

I hesitate for a long moment before reluctantly nodding. "… OK." I get to my feet, staring up at Yuan. In his pajamas, he looks quite a bit more approachable than usual. The moonlight shines down on his face, and for once he isn't scowling or expressing any kind of negative emotion towards me; instead, he looks … normal.

I wouldn't say friendly, but he's not unfriendly looking, either.

"Yuan?" I begin, once we've entered the house again. It's pitch dark and completely silent, with Yue and the kids being asleep. "… I'm sorry again for blackmailing you."

Yuan turns to look at me, and I look at the long piece of blue hair that hangs over his shoulder. "… And I apologize for my own words," he offers in response. "It was uncouth of me."

"And … um, thank you. For now," I elaborate. "You could've left me there on my own, or said something cruel, but you didn't. So … thank you."

Yuan turns on his heel. "You're welcome. Now, head to sleep; we're still going to train tomorrow morning."

* * *

Yuan, as it turns out, isn't a very bad teacher; but he's _strict as hell._ Two weeks passes by both dreadfully slow and fast, and — well, he was right when he said that two weeks isn't nearly long enough to learn any proper swordsmanship. Still, knowing some is better than none, and when the day for him to be put back into the frontlines comes around I'm surprised to find that I'm actually somewhat _sad._

"Where are you going to?" I ask, as we're coming back from morning training that day. "Or are you not allowed to tell me that?"

Yuan raises an eyebrow in response. "I think you know the answer to that already."

Two weeks of training has brought us into some weird relationship that's _very vaguely_ similar to friendship; it's not quite a mentorship, but Yuan isn't nearly as hostile and suspicious as he was in the beginning. Sure, we're not _friends,_ but we're not enemies either.

Not to mention, he doesn't comment on the occasional meltdowns that I have at night; our rooms are right next to each other, and I _know_ that he hears me sobbing, despite the fact that I try to keep it as quiet as I can.

It's … nice, honestly. I'm still freaking out about being here — especially when I attempt to figure out how long I'll be stuck in Midgard for. There's a _war_ going on, and although Yuan hasn't joined with Kratos, Martel, and Mithos yet, it has to happen sooner or later.

Sooner or later, they're going to form the pact with Origin, and sooner or later Martel will die; sooner or later the worlds will be split into two, and then I'll _really be fucked._

I'm not ashamed to admit that, over the past few weeks, I've had more than a few panic attacks at the mere thought of what's going to happen. Hell, I don't even know how they all meet, or how far along the plot is, and — I'm just a sitting duck. Completely useless and unless I can, somehow, figure out a way to integrate myself into the story, I'm fucked.

"Just a hint?" I attempt again. "It's not like I have anyone to tell."

Yuan nods at the guards stationed at the entrance of town when we pass through the gates. "Aren't you the one who's afraid of being kidnapped and tortured by Tethe'allan troops for information?"

I frown. "Yue said Midgard is out of the way," I reply. " _Pleease?_ I mean, we're all going to find out anyways after it happens. You don't have to tell the entire truth if you don't want to, and I'm not going to go blabbing to anyone if you tell me you're gonna … I dunno, slit the Tethe'allan King's throat or something."

Snow crunches beneath my boots and I kick a pile of it rather forcefully, watching as flecks of white fly through the air. "Use your own head," he finally answers with a tint of irritation. "You may not know how the war has been going in the last few centuries, but you've read plenty of newspapers in the last fortnight. Must you be told everything?"

I hum, ignoring the slight bite in his voice. "Well, Tethe'alla seems to be invading a lot …" I struggle for a moment, attempting to remember what I'd read earlier in the week. "So you're probably planning an invasion of Tethe'alla; payback or some shit, right?"

"The war will be over, soon," Yuan offers as a reply, which is as much of a confirmation as I'm going to get. "Tethe'alla will lay down their weapons and surrender."

I kick up some more snow, rubbing my hands together to generate some warmth in them. If the Sylvaranti army is planning to invade Tethe'alla and cause them to surrender, it has to be a massive invasion — or at least some place important, such as a capital or major city.

If the geography is the same as it is 4,000 years later, then that means the attack will likely be on Meltokio; but, unfortunately, I can't even begin to figure out what that means in terms of plot — and it's all around _terrifying._ Yuan is devoted to the Sylvaranti army, so whatever happens to make him join the other three has to be important — and a part of me is terrified it will involve Yue and her kids.

Yue offers a smile as we enter, but it's strained — it's obvious she's stressed about Yuan returning to battle. Jin and Mei didn't seem concerned when they left for school; but then again, they're kids.

"Two weeks is never long enough," she says mournfully, when Yuan is on his way out. "Be safe, Yuan."

He nods. "I will, mother. Tell Jin and Mei goodbye for me," he requests, before turning his gaze onto me. I straighten up a bit, and he scoffs to himself. "Avery — don't do anything stupid. Remember what I've told you."

"Yes _sir,"_ I mumble, a slight bit of sarcasm threading through my voice. As he steps outside the house, I blurt out, "How long? Until it happens?"

Yuan pauses, as if he's considering answering or not. Then — "Five months."

I breathe out shakily; that's really _not_ a lot of time. "Alright," I answer. "Don't go dying."

He scoffs. "As if."

With that he's on his way. Yue watches from the doorway until he's gone from our sights, and only then does she shut the door, her form slumping slightly. I hesitate.

"Yue?" I begin. "I'm sure Yuan will be fine; I know he wasn't … well, fighting me or anything, but just from him teaching me for two weeks I can tell he's strong as hell."

Yue offers a small smile. "Yes, I know — I just worry," she admits. "It's a mother's job, after all."

I swallow dryly. "… That's true."

Is my mother back on Earth worried, too? I like to hope so, but … I have no idea how I got here. For all I know, I could be _dead back on Earth._ Or time could flow differently, or —

Hell, there are so many things that could've happened that I don't even want to think about it. Added onto the fact that I don't even know how to get home? Well …

It's terrifying.

"Yue?" I start, when we've settled down on the couch. "Do you mind if I look at the map again?"

"Oh — of course not," she replies, getting up to grab it for me. "Is there something in particular you're looking for?"

I hesitate. "I … can't stay here forever," I finally admit. "I'll never remember anything if I just stay here, and — I just … I can't deal with that. I can't stand not _knowing._ These fucking _blanks_ in my memory are just — _"_ I struggle to find the word. "Just — I don't know, but I _hate it."_

Yue sets the map down in front of me with a single nod. "I understand; your family must be worried, as well … I have experienced the loss of a child once before; it is not a feeling I wish upon any parent."

I glance down at the map. Meltokio is all the way across the ocean on a separate continent; will this all really be over in just five months _?_

I point at the part of the map labeled Heimdall. "This is where you're from, right?" I ask. "How far from Midgard is it?"

Yue pauses, taking a moment to think it over. "It depends on the route you take," she finally answers. "Taking the sea route will take about a three weeks, while walking would take over two months. The mountain range is nearly impassable, especially at this time of year."

"Oh." I move my finger down to the continent Meltokio is on. "What about here?"

"Ah …" Yue hesitates. "Meltokio is the Tethe'allan capital. It's another week at sea from the port closest to Heimdall."

So a month total if you take the sea route — which I'm assuming the Sylvaranti army will be taking. I sit there silently, leaning my chin into my palm. "So it's unlikely I'm from there, I guess?"

"Very … it's almost unheard of for commercial ships leaving the Fooji continent to come anywhere further than the Toize Valley Mines. Generally, all non-army ships will only head up to Gaoracchia," she explains. "Luin, and Hima, though … both are quite close; Hima is just over a week, while Luin is three. Palmacosta is another possibility, but it's much further."

I lean back, resisting the urge to sigh. If Yuan is really planning to lead an attack on Meltokio — or at least knows that one is going to happen, I'm willing to bet that that's at least _somewhat important_ in terms of the storyline. There's no way I'm going to be able to do anything about the attack, but … if I find him after it, or find Martel or Mithos — or even _Kratos_ there's still a chance.

"I'll try Hima," I finally decide. "And if Hima doesn't work … then Luin is next."

Yue smiles again. "That sounds like a plan. If you can't remember, though, you're always welcome to come back, Avery."

I swallow hard, ignoring the churn in my stomach. "Thank you, Yue. I'm sorry I have to burden you so much longer."

"Nonsense," she replies. "To travel in this weather — by yourself much less — is suicide. I'd much rather you wait a few months until the weather has lightened up."

"Still …" I sigh. "Thank you, Yue."

* * *

Life in Midgard becomes comfortable, the weeks blurring together. It's not much different around the house, without Yuan around, though Yue is noticeably more stressed out as the days pass on. She reads the newspaper daily as soon it arrives. Jin and Mei don't seem to notice; before long I begin to see them less like strangers and more like family.

… Well, family might be a bit too strong of a term, but it's definitely something along those lines.

The two months following Yuan's departure is marked by three more victories for the Sylvaranti army, though only one of those is Yuan's … platoon, or whatever it's called.

As I'm coming back from dropping off Mei and Jin at their school, I find myself face to face with the last person I expect to see.

"Excuse me?" A soft voice calls out. "Miss?"

"Ah — yeah?" I reply, turning to face the voice, only to freeze in place.

The boy blinks, his blue eyes staring up at me, and I practically flinch when he steps forward, a frown on his lips. "Sorry, did I scare you? I didn't mean to. I was just wondering—"

"N-No, no," I interrupt, "sorry, you just … you looked like someone I know."

Mithos pauses. "Ah … alright then. Anyways, do you mind if I ask you a few questions? Me and my friends are looking for someone who might be here."

"Um … sure? But — I don't know how much help I'll be," I admit. "I've only been here for a few months."

"That's alright — really, at this point, anything helps." Mithos adjusts the cloak around his shoulder as he begins, "Yuan Ka-Fai is from here, right? You know — the military commander?"

I frown. "It's his home. Why?"

"Oh! Um … well, I wanted to meet him," the blond replies. "Me and my companions, actually. Is he here right now?"

"Ah … no," I reply. "You missed him by a lot, actually; he left probably two months ago."

Mithos sighs heavily, shoulders slumping. "Great … all this way for nothing." He raises his head, offering a small smile. "Alright, thank you miss. Sorry to take up your time."

I shake my head. "No, no … um, it's fine. If you don't mind me asking … why are you looking for him?"

"Huh? Well …" he hesitates, before shaking his head. "We were coming through this area anyways — from Palmacosta — and I thought about enlisting into the military. I guess we were pretty far off with the timing, though …"

Maybe it's because I know what he could become — or just because I know that him, Kratos, and Martel are looking for Yuan — but I can't help but wince at how obvious the lie is. He must take my reaction the wrong way because he quickly blurts out, "I know I'm young, but — it was just a thought!"

"N-No, no, I'm not judging you, uh …" I hesitate. "What's your name?"

"Oh; Mithos. What's yours?"

I rub my hands together in an attempt to warm them up. "Avery," I introduce. "Nice to meet you, Mithos. Uh … I'm sorry I couldn't help you … but if it helps, I think they're heading towards the mountains," I lie.

His eyes light up. "The Fooji Mountains?"

"Mhm."

"Those are pretty dangerous this time of year," Mithos muses. "But then again, they are the military." He sighs to himself before nodding. "Alright — thanks for your help, Avery."

"Yeah … no problem. I'm sorry it wasn't much help." I hesitate, scrutinizing him for a moment. "Good luck, Mithos."

"Thanks," he replies, turning on his heel and heading off into the crowds. I watch him go until he's no longer visible, and only then do I exhale shakily, ignoring the way my hands are trembling.

Just a month and I can leave — once the snow has died down, I'll be outside of Midgard and heading towards Meltokio. Sure, it's not exactly the smartest idea considering there's a good chance the Sylvaranti army is going to be burning it to the ground soon, but I can't stay in Midgard when I know everything is going to fall apart sooner or later.

I return to the house, greeting Yue as I enter, but rather than heading to the couch like I usually would I give Yue a half-assed excuse and head to the room I'm staying in. I flop head first into the bed, breathing into the blankets before rolling to my side and staring out the window.

If Mithos is here that means Kratos and Martel are somewhere in Midgard too — it also means they haven't met up with Yuan yet, and he hasn't switched sides.

But, according to the last battle — which just so happened to have been a victory for Yuan — he's somewhere near Flanoir; considering there's only three months left until Yuan's five month deadline is up, I can't help but feel apprehensive. That's really not a long time, especially considering how _fast_ the past two months have gone by.

I roll onto my back, exhaling softly and letting my eyes slip shut. It's something to worry about tomorrow, I guess; the temperature has been steadily rising and the weather is getting better. I'll be leaving Midgard soon enough.

Before long, I'll be making my way towards Meltokio in hopes of finding Yuan. Sure, traveling at this time of year isn't ideal, but the weather is beginning to get better and temperatures are rising; travel will be a problem, but if I sneak onto enough ships then it shouldn't matter … right?

Vaguely I realize that this plan — this whole … idea I've had of finding Yuan and using him as an entryway into the plot is a bad idea. I've realized it for awhile, actually. But honestly … if I don't invade, then there's no way I can do anything about the plot.

The fact that I only know two or three plot points doesn't help in the least, either. Not knowing when they happen makes it even worse; leaving my only options to force myself into the plot and observe, or hide away and wait for it all to go to shit.

I roll onto my side, feeling sick to my stomach.

Yuan will change sides eventually. Something drastic is going to have to happen for him to abandon the Sylvaranti army and work with Kratos, Mithos, and Martel against not only Tethe'alla, but also Sylvarant.

All I can do is hope that it doesn't involve Yue and the kids — because while Yuan may come across as an asshole who doesn't care, it's obvious as hell that he loves his family and would do anything for them.

If something happened to them … it would definitely change his viewpoint, sure; but it's not something I want him to ever go through, no matter how badly I want to figure out when in the plot I'm at.

I roll over again, glancing through the window. There's a light layer of snow upon the ground, despite it being early March now, and if I'm lucky it'll be cleared up by the end of the month, leaving me free to travel.

I cross my fingers and shut my eyes, sighing to myself.

' _This is alright. It's going to be alright,'_ I repeat, mouthing the words silently, but it doesn't help to alleviate the dread.

* * *

If you've ever woken up due to a fire alarm going off, then you know what it's like to be scared — now, take that and multiply it by fifty.

No, a hundred — that's probably the best way I can describe the sheer terror coursing through my body when I wake up to the sound of Mei and Jin screaming hysterically.

If you add the fact that it's still pitch dark out, and also the fact that Yue is shaking me awake, it feels more like I've been doused in ice water and set on fire than panic.

"Y-Yue?" I stammer. "What's happening?"

The creases around her eyes are more prominent. "There's an attack, and we need to get out of here."

I swallow dryly. "What?"

"Hurry," she simply says, before leading the two trembling children out of the room. I drag myself out of the bed, all traces of grogginess gone, and I spare a glance out the window. The shadows of people running is visible, though I can't make out any specific faces, and I get dressed as quickly as I can, dragging my cloak out of the closet I'd thrown it in yesterday.

"What do we do?" I ask when I exit the room. Yue has Mei and Jin pressed up against her side, her hands stroking the crowns of their head in an attempt to calm them down. "Is there a protocol or—?"

"There are some routes — through the tunnels," she tells me. "But getting there will be difficult. The Tethe'allan soldiers breached the entrance just a little bit earlier, and they'll be here soon."

"Mom?" Mei whispers, her voice warbling, "I'm scared. Why is this happening?"

Yue bends down, pressing a kiss against her forehead. "Oh Mei, my baby … it'll be alright. We're going to get out of here, alright?" she soothes. "It'll be OK. We have family in Hima; we'll go there. It'll be alright."

Mei sniffles, but nods regardless. I watch the scene silently, stomach churning with anxiety.

"Do you want to — to split up?" I ask. "I can take Mei, or Jin?"

"No!" Both the kids exclaim, and I jump in surprise. Jin is the one who finishes, with, "I don't wanna leave mom — or Mei. It's not safe!"

"Y-Yeah," Mei replies, and although her voice is still shaking it's firm. "I'm not leaving my family."

Yue sighs heavily. "You two … we may have no choice. It's much easier to travel in groups of two than a large group of four."

"But mom—" Mei protests weakly. "What if something happens to you while we're gone? What if we never see you again?"

Yue bends over, pressing a small kiss against Mei's forehead while cupping her face in her hands. "Oh, Mei … you won't be losing me today, alright? We're splitting up so we can all get out. It's safer this way."

Mei blinks rapidly, obviously deterring tears. "A-Alright, mom … I - I'll go with Avery."

"Good girl," Yue murmurs, sighing softly. "We'll meet you at the caves, alright? Be quick, and don't be seen."

Mei nods and Yue turns to face me. "Avery, I want you to take the spare sword in Yuan's closet. The wooden one you have will do nothing to help of you two are found."

"R-Right," I agree. "I'll … go get it now."

By the time I return both kids have their backpacks on and are putting their shoes on; I hesitate for a moment before grabbing my own boots and sliding them on. As I'm getting up, Yue hands me another backpack.

"In case something goes wrong there are some rations, water, and first aid equipment in here," she tells me. "Mei and Jin's bags have clothes and rations as well." She looks over at the two children as they rise, before saying softly, "Please take care of Mei."

"I will," I reply. "I'll protect her."

"Thank you." Yue turns to hug Mei tightly, sighing softly. "I'll see you soon, Mei."

Mei nods, grasping the back of Yue's shirt tightly. They release after a moment, and Jim quickly tackles his sister into another hug that she returns.

It's chaos outside. People are running, the streets crowded like it's the middle of the day instead of the middle of the night, and an older man straightens up when he sees us.

"The Tethe'allan army has breached the entryway, and they're rapidly moving through our defenses," he tells her. "People are heading to the caverns — I imagine you are too?"

Yue nods. "Yes — the western ones."

"Western?" The man's eyebrows raise in surprise. "Those will lead you straight to Hima."

"Yes, exactly. My ex-husband's cousin lives there … and with its placement, it's the least likely attack point."

He pauses in thought. "Yes, you're right. But the majority are heading for the northern and eastern caverns, meaning you'll be on your own for the most part."

"Yes, I'm aware … we'll be alright, Nigel. Thank you for your concern."

Nigel nods. "Just make it out alive, Yue."

Yue smiles wryly. "I don't plan on dying anytime soon, believe me."

We travel together in relative silence until we reach the marketplace — soldiers are already beginning to fill the area, with the town militia doing little to hold them back. Yue ushers us into the shadows before beginning to speak.

"We split up here," she tells us. "Jin and I will take the main route to the western caverns while Mei and Yue, you'll take the back path. You remember the way, right Mei?"

"Uh-huh. I remember."

"Good girl. We'll see you soon, alright? Be careful my love." Yue hugs her again before breaking away and taking Jin's hand. "And be strong for me."

"I will, mom." Mei looks up at me, and with a nod we start on our way.

* * *

 **Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

Mei takes the lead, and I keep my eyes fixed on our surroundings, watching for any soldiers.

A cloaked figure cuts in front of us and immediately I push Mei behind me, already going for my sword when I'm stopped by a familiar voice crying out, "Wait!"

Mithos appears next to the cloaked figure, yanking down his hood. "Avery, right? Don't worry — it's just us.'

"Us?"

"Me and my companions," he elaborates. "We were woken up by the invasion … we're trying to find our way out safely."

Mei reaches forward to squeeze my hand tightly, and I squeeze back. "How can I trust you're not with them? I can't even see who you're traveling companion is."

Mithos elbows the figure next to him, and there's a grunt before they pulls down their hood. I jerk in surprise.

Kratos looks like he does in the game; down to the hair and look on his face. A woman with green hair comes up beside them as well.

"This is Kratos," Mithos tells me as he gestures to the man, "and this is my sister Martel."

"We need help," he admits. "We came here looking for Yuan but instead—"

"Why are you looking for my brother?" Mei asks suddenly. I wince.

"Your … brother?" Mithos repeats. "Wait, Yuan is your brother?"

I pull Mei a bit closer. "We need to go," I say hastily. "This route won't be safe forever. They'll find it eventually."

'Ah — you're right … can we come with you to evacuate?" Mithos requests. "We're all trained in combat, so if anyone attacks we can help you."

I hesitate. Realistically, the right thing to do would say no; even though I know that these people aren't lying, Mei doesn't — and I shouldn't, either. Plus, forming or even starting to form any kind of relationship with them isn't ideal.

But … going alone probably isn't the best idea either. If we're outnumbered there's no way I'd be able to keep Mei safe on my own.

"Fine," I relent. "But just until we reach the caves."

Mithos' face lights up. "Yeah; thank you so much!"

"We should get going," Kratos says, his voice a deep baritone. "I'm assuming you will lead?"

"Um … a-actually, I'm leading," Mei says softly, obviously intimidated by Kratos. "Avery hasn't lived here very long."

Kratos grunts, but nods regardless. Martel approaches, making sure to keep her stance open and obvious that she's of no harm. "I'm Martel," she says softly, offering Mei a smile. "What's your name?"

"Mei," the girl responds. "And this is Avery."

I offer an awkward wave. Martel smiles in response. Kratos clears his throat, and we all go on our way, keeping to the shadows. Mei's taken to having a tight grip on my hand.

"S-Soldiers," she whispers, her voice trembling. "We can't keep going this way."

True to her word there's a party of three Tethe'allan soldiers blocking the way, though their backs are to us. I hesitate, unsure what to do. "Is there … another way around them?"

"No." Mei's voice begins to weaken as tears form in her eyes. "We—we'll have to pass them to get through."

"Leave it to me," Kratos states, stepping forward and unsheathing his sword. Mei's breath hitches, and I quickly turn her around so that she doesn't have to see what's about to happen.

Mithos follows; thanks to the fact that they attack from the back there's relatively no struggle, though I turn around soon enough that I see Kratos yank his sword out of the chest of the third soldier. My stomach churns.

"You can close your eyes until we pass the … bodies," I tell Mei, still not turning her around. Her hands are shaking violently. "I'll lead you past, OK?"

"O-OK."

True to Yue's word it's mostly deserted after that mishap. The few other times that we find soldiers we're able to go around them thankfully, and before long we reach the western caves. Mei leads us inside, calling out, "Mom?"

The word echoes, but Yue doesn't come forward. My stomach churns again, this time in dread. "Mei … what's the normal path? Do you think you can describe it to me?"

"Um — i-it's through the main center. I-I think … I think you came here with Yuan when you woke up," she whispers, her voice shaky from tears. "Is mom alright? She's just late, right?"

I shiver. "I don't know. I'll go check, alright?"

"But—but we're not supposed to be separated!" She argues. "A-And I don't wanna be here myself; please don't leave …"

"These people will be here with you," I soothe, motioning to Mithos and the others. "You won't be alone at all."

Mei shakes her head. "No — they're strangers, a-and strangers could be dangerous! Avery, please don't leave … we can look for mom together, right?"

"Hey," I'm startled by the sudden voice, and I turn to see Mithos kneeling down beside me. "I know you're scared, but you need to be strong for your mom. Avery has to go find her … I bet your mom would be upset to see you're not safe, right?"

"Yes," Martel says, "Mei, right? You've been so brave so far, but you just have to hang on a little bit longer. I promise you we aren't here to hurt you."

Mei gives her a wary look before reluctantly nodding. "A … Alright," she agrees. "I guess … I guess Avery can go look for mom by herself."

"Maybe one of us should go, too," Mithos suggests. "Um … I know you have a sword, but do you really know how to use it?"

I hesitate. "Kind of, but not really."

Mithos nods. "Yeah, that's what I thought … um, hey, Kratos — why don't you go?"

Kratos grunts. "We'd best be going on our way right now," he tells the blond. "Time is limited."

"We can't just leave this girl's mom out there though!" Mithos argues. "With all the soldiers, she could die — and if Avery goes out by herself, then she could die too."

Kratos sighs, and Mithos tries once again to convince him. "Please, Kratos? Technically we're ahead of schedule, since we planned to leave in the morning. It probably won't even take that long!"

"Fine," Kratos agrees. "But we'll only search once. If she's not there, then we're returning, with or without the woman."

I frown. "Hey … don't I get a say in this?"

"Of course you do," Mithos replies. "If you want to check more, then do — Kratos needs you to get back here anyways."

"I do not," he argues. "The path is straightforward."

"You say that," Mithos begins, "but don't forget the time—"

"We will get going now," Kratos interrupts. "Do not slow me down."

I wince. "Yeah … right." I turn back to Mei. "I'll be quick, alright? Just stay strong until I get back with your mom and Jin."

"Alright … be safe, Avery."

I lead Kratos out of the cave and go back down the steps, except rather than heading into the alleyway we came out of I pass it and head straight towards the center of the town, trying to retrace the path that Yuan lead me months ago. We're stopped not even a minute later when soldiers come into our view — and before I can even blink Kratos has his sword drawn and is attacking.

"W-Wait!" I cry, but he ignores it. I huff, and with a grunt unsheath my sword just in time to raise it and block an attack from a soldier. My arm trembles under the weight and I push him back with as much force as I can, slicing my sword towards his midsection.

The armor there stops it from going in, and I nearly slip on the snow as I retreat back. Kratos meticulously finishes off — or rather kills — the one he was fighting and heads towards mine.

I'm gasping by the time he's finished, but it's not because I'm out of breath; rather, it's out of shock at how … brutal he is.

"We must keep going," he says. "Now is not the time to linger."

"You killed them," I accuse. "You just — you killed them!"

He raises an eyebrow. "Yes."

"But — but — why?"

"They wanted to kill us. You're wondering why I didn't let them?"

I shake my head. "No, but — but you could've just … knocked them out!"

"And had them relay our location to their comrades? Or, perhaps, retrace our footprints back to the caves?" His voice stays even as he speaks, and I swallow dryly.

I have no argument.

"I — alright, you're right," I mumble. "But still …"

"If it bothers you to watch, you may look away; I am capable of taking on these soldiers on my own."

I hesitate. Then, "No. I … I need to get used to it if I'm going to be traveling after this."

"Very well. Let us keep going."

The worst thing about taking the direct route is that it leads us through the heart of the town — and while most of the soldiers have moved past, there are bodies lining the ground and blood staining the snow. The few soldiers that remain Kratos takes care of, with my assistance. I don't do much, and he doesn't comment on my shakiness and apprehension. I'm thankful.

"Have you never learned the proper way to wield a sword?" I nearly trip at Kratos' question; I turn to look at him, unsure how to respond.

It takes a few seconds before I can process the fact that he willingly spoke to me in the first place. "Uh — no? Yuan taught me some shit before he left; basics and stuff, y'know? Nothing special. I've been working on my own since then."

"Hm." Kratos holds out his arm to halt me, and we crowd back into the shadows as three soldiers pass. He waits until they're out of sight before speaking again. "It's obvious."

I huff. "Did you ask me that just to insult me?"

"No."

I wait for him to elaborate, but he doesn't. We pass the same shop that Yue took me clothing shopping at, and I swallow dryly at the sight. The door has been completely ripped off its hinges, and there's a faint splattering of blood across the external walls.

"I … I hope we find Yue soon," I mumble, trying to keep my voice steady. "We're getting close to the house — they should be way further than there by now."

"If she ran into trouble, it's likely she'll be with the other villagers," Kratos points out. "In which it'll be a futile effort to get her out."

I swallow dryly. "I … I know."

It's as we're passing another shop that I hear a hushed whisper — " _Avery!"_

I turn, struggling to figure out where the voice came from; only to feel the tightness in my chest relieve when Jin pokes his head out from the interior of the shop. The window has been smashed out, leaving sharp shards of glass poking up, but he scrambles out through the empty doorway.

"Mom got — got taken," he tells me, his voice cracking. There are tear tracks down his cheeks, and his face is flushed from the cold. The dread returns by a tenfold. "She left me here to hide. Where's Mei? And who's this?"

"Mei is safe," I tell him. "At the caves. And … this is Kratos. He's helping me. His friends are watching Mei while we came to look for you and your mom."

Jin sniffles loudly, his hands trembling in the mittens. "Are they nice?"

"Very," I say softly. "It's OK. We're going to get your mom, OK?"

Kratos scoffs. "Unlikely. If she's truly been taken, our chances of retrieving her alone are little to none. The platoon that invaded must have been a hundred men."

"What if — what if we got your friends?" I offer. "Martel and Mithos? Could all of us try then?"

Kratos sighs to himself, shaking his head. "It's still unlikely we'll succeed. The best option would be to cut our losses and return to the caves with the boy—"

"No!" I'm startled by Jin's yell. He comes around, glaring up at Kratos with as much fierceness as he can muster. "We're not leaving my mom—we gotta save her! If you're gonna be mean and not help, then I'll just—" he stumbles, his bravado faltering, before he picks up again with, "—then … then I'll do it myself. And Avery will help! Won't you?"

He turns to me with wide eyes and I wince. To be honest, while I want nothing more than to rescue Yue and return her to Mei and Jin … the fact of the matter is that it's highly likely I'll _die,_ especially on my own. While Kratos is a powerhouse, even he can't take on more than two soldiers at once when they're actively targeting him.

Returning to get help from Martel and Mithos would be ideal … but that would mean leaving Mei and Jin alone in the caves and vulnerable.

Knowing Yue, she'd want me to get both of them to safety and prioritize them over her … but she's done so much that I find the thought of abandoning sickening.

But, again, self preservation — if I die here, then Mei and Jin are really all alone.

I swallow dryly.

"I … Jin," I begin, "I don't … I don't know. I'm not any real good with a sword. Even if it's just a group of five, or even three soldiers with your mom, I can't even take down one on my own. And Kratos—" I turn to look at the man. He rivals Yuan in height, but his stoic expression is a stark contrast to Yuan's prickly attitude, "—Kratos is the one who really knows how to fight."

Jin wilts, tears forming in his eyes, and I'm hit with a strong guilt that makes me feel sick. His tears turn to sobs, and he all but collapses on himself, his hands balling into fists. He barely keeps standing, and with the way his knees are shaking I wouldn't be surprised if he fell—

Kratos kneels down to his height, and I'm shocked by the words that come out of his mouth.

"We will find your mother," he tells the boy, his voice even. It's not soft, but it's not harsh either. It's just … neutral. "We will get her to safety. But that requires us to return to the caves."

Jin hiccups. "But—but what if they hurt—hurt her whi-while we're gone?"

"We must return to the caves first," Kratos repeats firmly. "We cannot rescue her with you here."

Jin sniffles again, another sob wracking his body, before he eventually agrees with Kratos. "O-OK. I — I'll go back to the caves."

Kratos nods, and offers nothing else to Jin. I hesitate for a moment, before reaching forward and pulling the child into an awkward hug; he latches onto my cloak, his arms looping around my midsection, and I pat him on the head in an attempt to comfort him.

"C'mon, Jin," I say, "we need to hurry back to the caves so we can save your mom, alright?"

He nods, reluctantly unlatching from me, and although he straightens his shoulders in an attempt to be brave he's still teary eyed.

"Let us hurry," Kratos mumbles. "There's little time to waste."

"Yeah," I agree. "You're right."

* * *

"Jin's sure they went this way?" Mithos asks, his voice a hushed whisper. "This leads to the outskirts of the town."

I nod. 'Yeah. He was upset, but made it very obvious which way they went."

Mithos huddles his cloak closer to his body when a gust of wind comes around. Winter itself is bad enough, but considering it's also the middle of the night makes navigating even harder. Most of the streetlights still work, but they leave us in a vulnerable position.

For all we know, there could be a Tethe'allan soldier in the shadows while we're standing under the street light.

It's a bad position to be in.

"I do hope Mei and Jin will be alright by themselves," Martel murmurs. "We had them hide deeper in the caves, but this is not a situation to leave children alone in … especially ones as young as them."

I glance away guiltily as Kratos responds. "There was no other option, Martel. You must remember the situation we're in."

Her lips tighten. "Yes … yes, I know, Kratos." She sighs to herself, grip on her staff tightening. "But still, I can't help worrying."

Kratos doesn't respond. He keeps the head of our group, eyes glancing around for any movement in the shadows; Mithos has a small flame held in his hand and has taken up a spot beside the man, providing us with at least a bit more light.

"That's … magic, right?" I had asked, when the half-elf casted the spell. "Are you an elf then?"

Mithos had hesitated, before nodding his head carefully. "I use magic and swords," he told me. "Kratos teaches me in swordsmanship."

"What about magic?"

"Um … books, mostly," he admitted. "My sister is a healer."

"Oh." Our conversation had died away after that, both from a lack of effort from our ends and because Kratos had not-so-subtly ordered us to be quiet.

"We're getting close," Kratos says lowly. "I can see the flames. If we stick to their backs and stay in the shadows, we should be fine." He makes a motion towards Mithos who immediately distinguishes the fireball. "Be on your guard."

As we get closer to the outskirts of the town it becomes obvious that this is, in fact, where the villagers are being held; thankfully there's only twelve soldiers, which may seem like a lot — but I considering at least a fifty of them infiltrated Midgard, it's a relief to only see a handful.

Still, that doesn't mean it'll be _easy._ Sure, the three beside me are experienced with combat, but I'm pretty much a hindrance at this point. If anything, I'd serve as a better distraction for the others.

A distraction still makes me useful, though.

"We're gonna rescue all the other villagers, right?" Mithos whispers. "We can't just leave them!"

Kratos frowns. "There are not very many," he responds, and I can hear the question in his words.

"This guy … I forgot his name, but when we left he said people were evacuating to the caves. I bet most of them got the hell out before any soldiers could catch them," I reply. "These people are just … unlucky."

Ten total villagers, twelve soldiers to watch them. I know Kratos and Mithos are capable of taking three out from the back, as I saw earlier, but that still leaves nine to deal with.

"I think I've got a plan," Mithos says lowly. "We can distract them from the villagers; when they're distracted, Martel and Avery can get the villagers away from here. Kratos and I can deal with the soldiers on our own."

"Are you crazy!?" Martel hisses. "Mithos, the two of you are not in any way strong enough to take on twelve armed soldiers by yourself!"

"I-I know, I know!" He frantically waves his hands in defense. "I don't mean fight them— but like … like, if we can distract their attention away somehow!" His eyes wander across the area. "There are some boxes there; what if I set them on fire?"

Kratos frowns. "That will distract some of them, but most will remain."

"Then … something bigger." His eyes light up. "I know—we light the boxes on fire and then attack the ones that come to check. If the fire isn't put out, and the soldiers don't come back, then more will come."

"Or," Kratos interrupts, "they will become suspicious. Standard protocol does not allow hostages to be left alone, Mithos."

Mithos huffs. "Oh yeah … I forgot, you'd know about that stuff." He sighs, running his fingers across his bangs. "What do we do, then?"

"Infiltration is our best bet," Kratos replies. "It's easier to sneak in and sneak out. However, all of us will be easily recognized." He pauses, before turning to look at me, and immediately I know what he wants me to do.

When he explains it to me, I feel no better about the idea.

"I … you're kidding, right?" I ask. "No, seriously. You're kidding?"

"No."

I swallow dryly. "But—I'm not going to be able to take down a soldier on my own! They'll murder me!"

"That's where we come in," Mithos cuts in. "You'll only be in danger for a little bit, Avery! Just be a distraction for a little bit so Kratos and I can go in and take some of them out from behind!"

"But … but I won't have sword," I protest.

Kratos scoffs. "It would be of little use to you in the first place."

"But … still, it's better than nothing," I argue. "Can't Mithos go in? He's skilled with magic and can actually do something if it goes bad!"

"Mithos is needed to make the distraction _here_ ," Kratos stresses, his voice becoming thin. "If you want this plan to work you need to cooperate."

"Kratos," Martel begins, her voice scolding, "be nicer to Avery; it's normal to be held up and concerned about this. You have military training to back you up, but Avery here is a civilian. She can't hold her own like you can."

Kratos frowns, but doesn't argue against Martel's point. I sigh, rubbing my hands together to warm them up. "I … I mean, I can do it," I mumble, "but I just don't want to die is all."

"We won't let you die, alright?" Mithos reassures. "Trust me! We're gonna get you and the kid's mother out safe and sound, and we'll help the other people as well."

I leave my sword with Kratos and Mithos, and Martel nods when it's clear for me to go forward; immediately, once I'm in their line of sight, the soldiers stiffen up.

I'm surrounded in an instant, and from the crowd I see Yue's form stiffen in terror. She's bound with her arms behind her back and feet together, and I pointedly avoid her gaze as the soldiers force me to my knees and begin to search me for any weapons.

"Clear!" One of them calls out. "She's all clear!"

"Put her with the other woman," another soldier orders. "Do another headcount while you're at it."

Yue waits until the soldier is out of ear range before she all but explodes. "Avery!" she hisses. "What are you doing here? I told you to get the children to safety—"

"And they are," I whisper back. "They're hiding in the caves. I brought—" I glance around, trying to see any of the three figures, "—well … not friends, but they know what they're doing. They're going to get us out, alright?"

Yue hesitates. "You found Jin?"

"Yes," I reply. "He was safe. He's still safe, and so is Mei. I promise."

Her shoulders relax and it's like a weight has been lifted off her form. "Oh, Avery … thank you so much. I don't know what I would do if I lost them too."

Her voice chokes up at the end, and a pang of sympathy hits me. "It'll be alright, Yue. These people … know what they're doing."

I run through the plan again, ignoring the way the binds bite into my wrists. The soldiers thankfully aren't trying to hurt anyone, just keep watch from what I can tell.

I count the minutes out in my head and when ten minutes rolls around I squirm.

"Uh—sir?" I begin, calling out to the closest soldier. "I—I need to use the restroom …"

He spares a look at me, and I squirm again for good measure. "Uh … can you hold it?" he seems unsure, and I hop onto his uncertainty as quickly as I can.

"No — I … ugh, I really really gotta go," I whine. "Please? I'll be quick, and — and if you're afraid I'll try running you can … watch, I guess …"

A look of disgust passes his face. "No. Get up, I'll bring you …" he looks over his shoulder. "Hey, I'll be back; bringing one of them to take a leak!"

None of the others seem to care, though he does bring a second one with him for some reason. Not that it matters. The binds are removed from my wrists for the time being.

It's while I'm in the forest, hiding behind a tree and pretending to use the bathroom, that I hear a shout of surprise from the makeshift prison area. "Shit!" the yell carries all the way to us, and I see the light of flames through the shubbery.

"Hey, you! Hurry the fuck up!" The first soldier orders, his voice slightly frantic. "God, you taking a shit or something?"

I come back around the tree, pretending to adjust my pants. "No," I reply back. "It's just hard when someone else is watching me."

He huffs. "We need to get back and see what caught fire … I bet it was that asshat Albert. Guy doesn't know jack shit about anything."

The second soldier huffs. "Albert's new you jackass. Of course he doesn't know much."

"Rookies," he mutters. "Of course rookies had to make up the majority of this mission. What else is new."

A good fourth of the soliders are missing by the time we get back, leaving only nine left. I edge myself behind the one who brought me into the forest, hands still unbound; he forgot to rebind them in his haste of leave and frustration over rookies. I see Mithos make the signal out of another flame, and shoot out to ram my foot into the back of his knees.

He crumples with a yelp of surprise, and his partner turns only for me to duck and tackle his legs. He falls with a thud, and I wince before reluctantly ramming my fist into his groin area — he doubles over with a scream of pain. The other one is already getting to his feet, and I duck beneath the hold he tries to put me in, attempting to maneuver my way around him.

A strike of lightning crashes down on the three soldiers making their way to the fire, and there's a collective scream followed by the pungent smell of burning hair; I see Kratos rush in, his sword drawn, and Mithos follows suit.

With six down, the fight has become manageable; although I don't have my sword the Tethe'allan soldier is too frustrated to think straight — " _anger is an instinct that will take over. Use it against your opponent. They stop thinking when angry and become sporadic." —_ and his attacks are easy enough to dodge.

"You little shit!" he snaps, slashing his sword down in an attempt to hit me. I roll away, ignoring how wet I'm getting from the snow, and he stumbles as he pulls it out, slipping slightly. The heat from the flames melted the snow and ice slightly, making it more slippery and watery.

Mithos appears out of nowhere, shoving my sword into my arms. "Here!" He cries out. "We've got the other ones, so just focus on him!"

I duck, managing to just barely avoid slipping over myself when the soldier swipes at my neck. I struggle with the scabbard, and barely bring it up in time to block a downward slice that would've likely cut right into my face. He abandons his sword in order to practically flatten me with his weight, pressing his pelvic region onto my stomach to keep me from struggling away before he smashes his fist into my face.

I wince, instinctively raising my hands to cover — " _your hands will instinctively cover your head to protect it. You will flinch as well; leaving you open to attack" —_ only to snap my eyes open and jam my fingers upwards towards his face.

He screams, reeling back, hands clasped over his eyes — " _use the body against them. Hit sensitive spots, areas that they need and that will cause extreme pain upon being hit" —_ and I take advantage of his position to throw him off balance, twisting my body and tossing him off.

He slams to the ground, still writhing, and I raise my foot and _stomp_ onto his groin, ignoring the scream that comes from his mouth at the action, before I stumble for my sword. I yank it out of the scabbard and freeze.

" _If you don't kill them first Avery, they will kill you," Yuan says. "You don't leave an enemy in a position that they can use against you. That will get you stabbed in the back."_

He gets to his feet in my frozen state, staggering in pain and squinting at me. "You … you little _bitch,"_ he hisses. "You fucking piece of shit — I'll kill you for that. Fuck the orders."

He comes at me, his stance slow and staggered from pain, and I panic and then—

—my sword goes straight through him.

I freeze. my eyes meeting his, and he gurgles, blood dripping from his lips as his legs give out on him. The sword slides out of his body as he falls, and I pant, gasping in horror and shock. Yue's eyes are wide as well, and I barely manage to stumble over his dead body to Yue.

I untie her binds as quickly as I can, immediately hefting her to her feet and struggling to keep my footing. "Go—hide," I elaborate. "Until we're done."

The second soldier who I downed is finally recovering, though he's faring a lot better than the one I just killed — _oh god I killed him I killed a man I killed him —_ and I recover my sword, ignoring how difficult it is to breathe through my nose.

I slash at him, trying to remember Yuan's lessons — " _keep your gravity low and legs apart. Move so they're apart. Never together" —_ but when he comes at me I panic, slicing my sword down and struggling to remember to keep my wrists in the right place.

He's stronger than me and easily disarms me, sending a flood of panic through my brain. I throw a fist forward only for him to catch it, twisting my arm painfully before locking it under his own and then—

He's tackled to the ground suddenly, throwing me down as well, and I see Yue flatten herself against him. "Avery!" She calls to me. "Hurry, get your sword!"

My arm is pulsating painfully, though considering I can still move it I doubt it's broken. I grab my sword, hurrying back over just as Yue is thrown off. His back is to me, and he stalks upon the woman, his own sword back in hand, and without thinking I jam my sword through his midsection the same way I watched Kratos do so earlier.

He falls forward as I pull it out, and my legs are shaking like a leaf; I practically collapse on myself, gasping for breath and mind going a mile a minute. My face pulsates and I can tell my eye is beginning to swell already. There are scrapes lining the backs of my arm from when I fell and my entire cloak and tunic are soaked, but —

I look over at the rest of the group. They're faring well, with Kratos and Mithos doing the actual damage while Martel shoots off support spells. One of the earlier soldiers — likely hit by the lightning spell if his hair and body are anything to go by — comes up from behind, and I _panic._

Without really thinking I launch myself forward, slamming my side into the soldier and sending the both of us to the ground. He grunts in surprise, but manages to catch his bearings faster than me; his hand fists into my hair and slams my face down into the snow. I feel a crunch and a searing pain — broken nose, most likely — but I force myself not to deal with it. The pain dulls.

I twist violently, grasping for his neck and jamming my nails into the tender section, and he screams. I dig deeper; for once, I'm glad I haven't cut my nails in a while, because breaking the skin with blunt nails would be hard.

"Fuck — what the fuck are you doing!?" he cries. I drag his head forward and jam my elbow into it — there's another crack, and then I yank my nails down and _rip._

He screams again, and if he hasn't gotten the attention of Martel and the others we sure have now. I don't have time to look at how their battle is going; neither of us have a sword, leaving me at a hugely vulnerable position.

The soldier smashes my head back to the ground again and I'm stunned momentarily, my vision blurring and splitting before coming back together. There's blood dripping down his neck, and my nails have been dislodged; his hands wrap around my neck, squeezing tightly, and I gasp.

I struggle, but considering the fact that he's all but sitting on top of me there's little I can do; my nails dig into his skin, raking bloody lines and tearing flesh, but he only tightens his grip—it's as my vision is blurring and darkening that he's suddenly ripped off me and I can _breathe._

I cough, gasping desperately for breath, and suddenly Martel is there, her staff glowing as a rush of magic pulsates through my body, healing the wounds. "Careful, be careful. Can you breathe for me?"

I nod, but each breath makes me cough. Martel casts another spell, which relieves the pain, and I heave forward, shaking like a leaf. "I-Is it over?"

"Yes, for now." I look over and see the body of the soldier who was, just seconds ago, choking me to death. "You're really wounded … here, sit still so I can heal you."

Some of the wounds, like the scrapes and black eye, she uses mana for — but when it comes to my nose Martel tells me, with a wince of sympathy, that she'll need to put it back into place first.

I'm proud to say that I only flinch a little bit when she does so. The healing magic rushes through immediately, relieving me of any lasting pains, and I stumble to my feet to observe the battle field.

All the soldiers are dead while the villagers are, for the most part, unharmed.

Who knows how long this'll last for, though.

"The lightning will have brought attention," Kratos tells us as we regroup. "We must retreat immediately. Gather the civilians."

I head back to where I left Yue, helping her to her feet. I notice the look in her eyes and pointedly ignore it.

"Are you alright?" I ask her, my voice shaking. "Did they … y'know, hurt you?"

She shakes her head. "No … I'm alright. But Avery, you—"

"—I don't want to talk about it," I say, as forcefully as I can. "Let's just … head to the caves, alright? So we can … we can see Mei and Jin."

She sighs, her shoulders relaxing a bit. "Yes … let's. Thank you, Avery, for all you've done today."

"I—" I swallow dryly. "Yeah."

* * *

You'd think it would be hard to move ten people across town during an invasion, but it's surprisingly not. We take the back route that Mei and I went through, and although Kratos and Mithos have to take down a few more soldiers by surprise (I decided, rather strongly, that I wanted nothing more to do with this unless I had to), but otherwise it was a smooth trip..

"Mom!" Both Mei and Jin practically tackle Yue, and I see tears of relief forming in her eyes as she embraces the children. "Mom, you're safe!"

"I am, I am," she repeats. "Oh, my children … I'm so glad you're safe. Are you hurt?"

Mei shakes her head. "No. Avery and her friends took good care of me. Even when Jin and I were by ourselves, we stayed hidden like they told us."

"Good girl," Yue praises, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. "I'm so proud of you two."

I hesitate, hanging out near the back where Mithos and his group are located. "Yue … are you still going to Hima?"

"Yes." She straightens up, running her hand through Jin's unruly hair. "Although Midgard is supposed to be difficult to invade, especially this time of year, Hima is near impossible. We will be safe there."

She hesitates. "Avery … will you be coming with us? You planned to head to Hima, did you not?"

"I—" I hesitate. I did tell her that I was planning to go to Hima, although it was a complete lie. "I … no. I'm going to find Yuan."

"Yuan?" Mei repeats. "Why?"

"Well," I begin, "someone has to tell him where you guys went, right? If he comes back here and sees Midgard the way it is now …" I shiver. "I don't want him to go through that. So I'm gonna find him and tell him you guys are safe."

"Avery …" Yue begins, "Yuan should be somewhere around Flanoir at this time; there's no way you're going to make it there on your own."

I pause. "I—" I shake my head. "I'll figure it out."

"We're actually looking for Yuan, too," Mithos tells her. "So why doesn't Avery come with us?"

Kratos sighs. "Mithos …"

"No, I'm serious Kratos!" Mithos spreads his arms out. "Avery seems to know Yuan, right? And we really need to talk to him, and so does Avery. So if she's with us, not only will she get what she needs, but so will we! It's mutually beneficial!"

"She is not properly trained in combat," Kratos argues. "She will be killed."

"Isn't that another reason, then?" Martel interjects. "Kratos, you've taught Mithos how to use a sword … why don't you teach Avery as well?"

Kratos turns to look at me and I straighten my shoulders up. "Um …" I pause, struggling to find the words. "If it's not too much trouble … I'd like to."

Kratos sighs, obviously wanting to protest, but considering that both Martel and Mithos are against him, there's not really much he can do. "I promise I won't be a burden," I tell him. "I trained under Yuan for two weeks, so I know, like … the very, very basics and stuff. Just not anything after that."

"Still, you held your own pretty good today," Mithos notes. "Though you did get kinda roughed up … I was surprised you were able to take care of those two soldiers yourself. You just had to distract them."

The vision of my sword sliding through the soldier's bodies sends a shudder down my spine, and I suddenly feel much twitchier than I did earlier. "I … I'll admit, I was playing dirty for most of it," I mumble. "Yue saw."

"Eyes are a good place to aim," she agrees, but the look on her face shows how uncomfortable she is with the subject. "Avery, you are an adult, so I won't keep you from going. But please … just be safe."

"I will, Yue." My throat tightens, and I'm slightly shocked by how emotional I'm feeling at the thought of saying goodbye. "Thank you for taking care of me for so long."

Yue smiles. "It's been nice to have another adult around," she admits. "Remember my offer, though. If your memory stays the same … you're always welcome back with us. We may be relocating to Hima, but that doesn't change my offer."

"Wait, memory?" Mithos repeats. "What's wrong with her memory?"

"Avery has am-ne-si-a!" Jin tells him, spreading the word out into syllables. "She doesn't know anything about her past or really the world at all. She didn't even know a war was going on; pretty dumb, right?"

"Amnesia doesn't make a person dumb," Martel chides him gently. "It just means they forgot. Have you ever forgotten something important before?"

Jin blinks. "Huh? Well of course I have."

"Does that make you dumb?"

"Well … no," Jin replies. "But I didn't forget my whole life! That's different."

Martel shakes her head. "But it doesn't make Avery, or anyone else with amnesia stupid. She couldn't help it, just like you can't help when you forget things."

"Hm … I guess," Jin mumbles. "I just don't get how you can forget something so big and important."

"Extreme trauma, generally," Kratos cuts in, his eyes focused on me. I shiver. "Head trauma. How long has it been going on for?"

I hesitate. "Two months."

"And nothing has come back?" Martel asks, her voice laced with an edge of shock. "That's quite a long time …"

I shift uncomfortably. "I … I don't know," I say softly. "I was hoping traveling would help me remember, honestly, but I was waiting for the weather to get better." I swallow dryly. "Not like I have much of a choice now, though."

"Speaking of traveling … Yue, right?" Martel begins. "Will you and your children be alright traveling to Hima by yourself? the weather has been getting better, but it is still winter."

"That's where we come in," one of the villagers we rescued says. "We'll all be heading to Hima — it's only a week's walk, after all. We'll be safer in a group, after all. Plus, most of the travel will be through the caverns; they lead practically right to Hima."

"Yeah!" Jin chimes in. "It's like a big sleepover, right? Except we're traveling?"

"A cold sleepover," Mei mumbles. "Jin, we're gonna have to sleep on the ground!"

Jin whines at that. "What? Why?"

" _Because,"_ the girl stresses the word, "no one carries around beds! It's too heavy."

The siblings dissolve into a slight argument, and I watch it in amusement before returning my attention to the adults and Mithos. "Are you guys … alright with me coming along?" I ask. "I mean, I'm not besties with Yuan or anything, or really friends at all, but we don't hate each other."

"I don't mind," Mithos replies. "Sis?"

"It's fine with me as well. And Kratos will agree as well, won't you?" The green haired woman asks, a knowing smile on her face. "You'll have another student to teach."

Kratos grunts, but does agree in the end.

"We can make our way through the caves and continue from there," Kratos decides, after a moment of silence. "If we get instructions from Yue on how to exit the tunnels before Hima, then we'll be fine. We will travel until we've gained a considerable distance from Midgard."

Yue sighs, holding Mei and Jin to her side. "Thank you for coming to get me," she tells us, after another long silence. "To be honest, when they took me, I was not expecting to return. When I heard them coming, I barely had enough time to hide Jin before they found us. I thought …" she exhales shakily, "I thought I was dead. If they'd found out my relation to Yuan, then … it would've been worse."

"Your relationship?"

"Oh … I'm his mother," Yue says offhandedly. "I do not want to be used as a bargaining chip against him, though, so I planned to keep my name to myself."

Kratos nods. "It is a good thing you did. There would've been more soldiers had you let that information slip."

"Yes, I'm aware."

There's a short silence, in which I fumble uncomfortably in my wet clothes. Finally, when the silence is becoming unbearable, Kratos speaks up. "We should get going."

"Oh, yes," Martel agrees. "Are the caves straightforward?"

"They loop around if you take the wrong one," Yue tells her. "We can lead you to an exit that will let you out right before Hima — all citizens of Midgard have learned the evacuation routes, including the route to Hima, so if you keep with us you will be fine."

I sigh. "Thank you, Yue."

"No, thank you, Avery. Thank you for keeping my children safe … and returning me to them." She releases the children, pulling me into a soft embrace that catches me off guard. "You've been a wonderful guest the last few months. Thank you for all you've done to help."

I shake my head. "No; really, it's nothing special. You're the one who I should be thanking. You've taken care of me, and clothed and fed me—"

"Regardless," Yue cuts me off, "thank you, Avery. For everything."

I swallow, before forcing the words from my throat. "You're … you're welcome, Yue."

"Let us be on our way," Kratos says, effectively ruining the moment, but I can't find myself to care. My nerves are still fried and I'm jittery as hell. Any distraction is welcomed at this point.

* * *

 **A/N: Aah, I'm so sorry for the wait. I actually thought I updated this story only to find out, today, that I hadn't when I checked my profile. Geez, I feel like an idiot ...**

 **I hope the fight itself didn't seem too unrealistic; although Avery won in the end, she got damaged quite a bit because she was using cheap shots to survive. When you don't know how to use a weapon, might as well use things like the eyes, groin, underarm, etc. to survive. I just hope it didn't seem too unrealistic; she would've been screwed if Yue hadn't tackled the soldier when she did. She also would've been screwed if the final soldier wasn't pulled off her by Kratos.**

 **Since this is a story with war as a major part of it ... these kind of fights will be quite common. Maybe not to this extent, and maybe not this messy (in terms of the actual fight itself) but you do what you have to to survive, y'know?**

 **Thanks to those of you who have reviewed so far; please continue to review, let me know what you thought! Thanks for reading!**


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